The Jedi Trials
by Scriptor Sapiens
Summary: After a devastating loss on Mygeeto, General Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan Ahsoka Tano have been reprimanded by the Jedi High Council and reassigned to Koru Neimoidia to route out Ruune Haako with Jedi Master B'dard Tone and his Padawan Codi Ty.
1. Chapter 1

_I think I have decided to add an "Author's Note," before my story chapters. This Chapter is basically all 100% hard core action. Next chapter, we will slow down again and listen to some wet blankets banter. Any guesses who said wet blankets are? Just a side note, the characters here, if pictured in _The Clone Wars _style, are based off of the Episode "Heroes on Both Sides."_

Mygeeto was cold, cruel. An icy wind swept snow through the air at speeds high enough to sting the face of even a wookie. A barren landscape of strip-mined fields stretched on either side of Jygat. The city itself was built on a large crystal, and was taller than it was wide. Bridges connected it to higher ground , and were too numerous to number.

But bridges were the farthest thing from any sentient's mind.

The awful din of battle pervaded the atmosphere. Torrent fighters arced across the sky, pursuing or being pursued by Vulture droids. AT-TEs lumbered like giant beasts over the bridges, followed closely by the AT-RTs.

A canary yellow Delta-7 screeched amongst the buildings at top speed, close enough to buildings that their windows shattered. A blue R2 unit bleeped in alarm as a vulture droid was vaporized by the Delta's cannons.

The pilot grimaced as the smoke and debris of the ruined fighter cascaded over the cockpit. "I know R2, but give me some credit, that was a good shot."

The astromech bleeped an affirmative, but added on a few choice boops and pings.

Anakin Skywalker rolled his eyes. "At least there aren't any buzz droids."

Once again, the droid beeped an affirmative.

The Jedi at the controls pushed the com-link button on the control panel. "Master, Mundi," he said, "The droid fighters are few and far between. Shall I assist you in your assault?"

A voice crackled over the speakers, small and tinny. "No Skywalker. Your place is up there. Go across the city and do a bit of reconnaissance for us. We could do with a glance at what is coming."

"On my way Master Mundi."

Juicing the throttle a bit more, Skywalker ascended over the top of the city, and was lost from sight.

Master Ki-Adi Mundi watched him go with keen yellow eyes.

Tholothian Jedi master and fellow council member Adi Gallia came to his side. "Why did you send him away? We could use the help down here."

It was debatably true. The droid army was advancing on their position, and both Jedi were actively blocking blaster bolts. The clones nearby were squeezing off rounds as fast as their trigger fingers allowed. This kept the droids from gaining ground, but the Jedi gained none either.

"I sense this battle is going to heat up in the near future," the Cerean said, sending a rather precise blaster bolt back to its owner.

Master Gallia cocked an eyebrow. "But the droids have no reinforcements. How can they possibly gain an advantage?"

"If urban warfare has taught me anything Adi, it is to expect the worst at all times."

"I concur, Master Mundi," said a tinny voice over the com-link. It was Ahsoka Tano, Skywalker's Padawan. She had moved farther into Jygat than the others had dared (she took after her master) with an AT-TE, Commander Bacara, and a platoon of Marines.

"How do you mean, child?"

"I expected a better fight out here than on the outskirts and bridges."

"Be careful what you ask for Padawan," Adi cautioned. "You might not like the fulfillment of the wish."

"But master Gallia, the few droids still here are being hunted down as we speak. I must compliment the Marines Master Mundi. They take care of business."

The Cerean let his chest swell a bit with his ego.

The Tholothian next to him was unfazed by flattery, or she was just jealous that her troops never got that kind of praise. "Stay on your guard Padawan. The Sep-" She paused to swat away a blaster bolt and hew the offending Droideka with a well aimed saber throw. "The Seperatists are full of surprises."

"Which kind Master Gallia?"

Was the Padawan trying to get on her nerves, or was it an honest question?

"Which kind do you _think_ Padawan?" She punctuated the sentence with a battle-droid's call for assistance as it was sliced rather neatly down the middle.

"Patience Master Gallia," Ki-Adi Mundi chuckled. "Anger is not the Jedi way."

Ki-Adi was about to find himself without his pony tail, when something caught Adi's attention. Her com-link was ringing.

She drew the device as she floored a Super-Battle-Droid with a spinning kick. "Yes, what is it?"

"Mast…Gall….ust….eat!"

The static of the transmission puzzled the Tholothian. Why would there be so much static? She was unaware of any magnetic disruptions. "Say again."

"Master Gallia, thi…..Ana…..Skywalker…must retr…."

Near as she could tell, it was Skywalker asking for lunch. "Say again."

That's when the Delta-7 screeched over her head, trailing smoke like a distress signal. _Skywalker?_

As the smoldering craft zoomed over the side of the bridge, two objects came flying out. It was Skywalker and his R2 unit.

No sooner had Skywalker touched the ground, his lightsaber was brought into the Djem So opening stance and he began to slice through droids like a hot vibro blade through a chunk of animal fat.

Ki-Adi relieved a B-2 of its arms and turned his elongate head to look at the Jedi. "Skywalker, to what do we owe this pleasure?"

"We must retreat Master Mundi!"

The Cerean looked as if he had been slapped in the face. Adi would have looked the same, but she was presently fighting a fairly angry commando droid. "What do you mean Skywalker," she said between her dodging the vibro-sword. "The battle is all but won!"

"It looks like the Trade Federation called in a favor with the Banking Clan," he growled, slicing yet another droid into thirds. "I counted about five-hundred Lancers coming our way."

Ki-Adi regarded the man as if he had gone insane. "Five hundred? How did the Clan get five-hundred units past our blockade?"

"How does not matter," Adi Gallia stated. "We do not have sufficient forces to successfully repulse an attack of five hundred lancers. Alert our troops: full retreat."

Mundi was frozen. Retreat was a foreign concept to him. He had not retreated, except on Hypori.

"THAT WOULD MEAN NOW!"

Master Gallia's sharp order brought Mundi back to his senses. He was immediately barking orders into his com-link.

Anakin was about to do the same, when R2-D2 began to beep and hoot hysterically.

"What is it R2?"

More beeping and pinging.

A look of comprehension dawned on the young Jedi's face. "Oh, no… MASTER MUNDI!"

Said Jedi Master was getting a head count of his troops. "What do you want?"

"I need a gunship, NOW!"

"We all need gunships now Skywalker. We are retreating."

"But Master Mundi, you don't understand! My…"

"General Mundi!"

Ki-Adi looked like he was about to pop a vessel. "WHAAAAAAAAT!"

The clone lieutenant seemed ready to pee himself. "We just finished the headcount. We're missing Comander Bacara and a platoon."

Ki-Adi paled first, then he turned absolutely beet red. "THEN WHERE THE HOTH ARE THEY!"

"With my Padawan, which is what I was trying to tell you Master Mundi!" Anakin exclaimed.

Ki-Adi was already two steps ahead. He had called in the nearest gunship and was already trying to contact his Commander.

He faced Skywalker. "The gunship is coming, but our communications with my troops and your Padawan are being jammed."

He nodded. "How long until the lancers reach their position?"

Ki-Adi checked his chronometer. "In approximately fifteen standard minutes."

With a roar, the LAAT gunship descended from the sky. The blast doors opened. Inside, with several members of the 786th Legion, was Adi Gallia. "Get in!" she called.

Anakin was all too happy to oblige. As soon as his boots made contact with the floor, the gunship was moving.

Anakin checked his chronometer. Thirteen minutes left.

The gunship was making best possible speed, but it did not seem to be going fast enough. The seconds ticked by terrifyingly fast.

Once again Anakin found his vision floating to his chronometer. Ten minutes.

He felt a hand on his arm. It was Adi. "Don't worry Skywalker. We _will_ get there in time."

How he hoped that would be true.

No sooner had the Chronometer reached five minutes left, that the LAAT's blast-doors opened. There in the middle of the street was a derelict AT-TE, smoking out of every orifice, ten clones, and one flashing green lightsaber. All around them was a swarm of battle droids somewhere in the region of fifty. On any other occasion, ten clones and one Jedi against all of those droids would be a fair fight, but from the vantage point the gunship offered, Anakin could see the lancers coming around the street corners. "Ahsoka!"

The Togruta Padawan looked up at her master. 'Oh, hi Master! Coming to join the fun?"

"Time's up Snips, we have to go!"

"But Master," she protested, "I have these droids beaten! The Marines are a big help! Just give me five minutes and…"

"AHSOKA! Get in the ship!"

"Master, I can do this!"

The lancers' speeders were audible now.

Adi had had enough. "PADAWAN TANO, IF YOU DON'T GET INTO THIS GUNSHIP WITH THE CLONES _RIGHT NOW_ I WILL SEPARATE YOUR HEAD FROM YOUR SHOULDERS!"

Ahsoka relented. She followed the troops into the gunship with a disconsolate look. 'I don't see what the big deal is Master. We had it covered…"

That was the moment that the AT-TE exploded.

The lancers had arrived.

Ahsoka looked out into the streets and saw the swarm of speeder-mounted droids overrun the area.

The gunship was safely out of harm's way, but the thought of what could have happened hit home.

Ahsoka turned to face the two Jedi behind her.

Her master had his arms crossed across his chest. He was disappointed and angry. And why not? She had just directly disobeyed him.

Again.

Adi Gallia stood stock still, not making eye contact.

All Jedi know what that means.

It means a few days later, you will be summoned to appear before the Jedi Council.


	2. Chapter 2

_YO! So, I guess you liked the first chapter if you are reading this one. With this scene, I wanted to elaborate the roles of the Council Members, not just focus on Windu, Yoda, and Kenobi. Rest assured, they will speak, but other council members will speak too._

It was a gray, somber day on Coruscant. Rain pattered down through the city streets, drenching the Coruscanti who were not properly attired. It was odd to have a rainstorm this early in the year, and Coruscant was sunny on most days, but the gray anomaly of the sky had not helped the moods of twelve particular sentient beings.

Ahsoka stood in the middle of a ring. Around her were the stern faces of the Jedi Council. Either Master Mundi or Master Gallia had spilled the beans about the incident on Mygeeto.

The situation might not have seemed so grim, except that this was not the first time Ahsoka had stood before the Council to be reprimanded.

And this time, her master was not with her.

"So, once again we find ourselves in this position Padawan." Mace Windu looked more weary than angry. "Only this time, we know a reprimand and a few days here in the Temple will not stop this from happening again."

"An alternative course of action, we need."

Hearing that you need correction from Master Yoda really makes you feel low.

Ahsoka glanced at the faces of the Council, searching for a trace of sympathy.

She looked at Master Ti. Surely a member of her own species would understand. She opened her mouth to speak, but the violet eyes she was looking into narrowed.

"Do not speak Ahsoka. I felt that you deserved a second chance the first time you were in here, but not a second time."

Nope.

Oppo Rancisis pointed a long finger in her direction. "I had expected a Padawan of your caliber to be more responsible. You make me wonder whether you are worthy to carry a lightsaber."

"Do not be so harsh Master Rancisis," Plo Koon said. "While the Padawan is reckless at times, such an occasion as this does not merit banishment from the Order."

Ahsoka managed a smile. Good ol' Plo was…

"But I still feel that she is to be punished."

… nevermind.

"But how do we punish her?" Master Mundi was present only in a hologram, yet she could feel his imposing presence. "We have already tried a week of Temple duties…."

"But that punishment did not go as planned," Even Piell pointed out. "If anything, it gave her more action than was available on Felucia."

Obi-Wan stroked his holographic beard. He was presently looking into a matter on Toydaria. "Perhaps another period in the Temple would do her good. I know Master Sinube would be happy to supervise her."

"We do not wish to reward her behavior with a visit to a friend," said Coleman Kcaj. "While a noble suggestion Master Kenobi, I feel that it is not appropriate for the situation."

"Then what are we to do with her?" Shaak Ti huffed. "We cannot just debate."

"Perhaps a few days confined to her chambers?"

"We do not torture, nor do we resort to more pedestrian or parental measures with our pupils, Master Gallia," Obi-Wan reprimanded

"What are you talking about Master Kenobi? I chained Nadhar to the wall all the time," Master Fisto piped up.

It seemed even the rain had stopped pattering on the windows. Dead silence fell on the Council. All heads swiveled in slow unison to give Kit Fisto the crazy stare.

He shrank back into his chair. "Just kidding."

"Perhaps a few days on Kamino helping the Prime Minister will straighten her out?" Saesee Tiin appeared to have pulled that idea from nowhere, but it seemed to be effective, because Ahsoka shivered from top to bottom at the thought.

"A fate worse than death," Kit whispered to Shaak. She nodded with complete assent.

Mace Windu looked up. He had noticed that Eeth Koth's hologram had been unusually quiet. "Master Koth, what do you suggest?"

The Zabrak looked up. "I was considering a measure that might be viewed as counterproductive."

"And that is?" Plo Koon seemed rather interested.

Eeth Koth straightened in his chair. "I have a Master and Padawan under my command. I'm sure you all remember Master Tone?"

There was a general consensus of nodding.

"His Padawan has been acting up too as of late. Both of them could use a hand. I would help them myself, but I am presently on a mission to Ord Cestus."

Master Yoda's brow furrowed. "Recall, I do, that Master Tone and his Padawan are on Koru Neimodia."

"Yes," replied Eeth Koth. "They are hunting Ruune Haako."

"Perhaps the Padawan and her Master can lend a hand?" Mace Windu suggested. "The capture of a Seperatist leader would further our attempts to end this war."

"I agree," Yoda concurred.

"I," said Master Mundi.

"I," said Master Windu.

"I as well," said Shaak Ti.

"I too," said Plo Koon."

So it went across the room, as "I," after "I," was uttered.

The result was unanimous. "Settled, the matter is," Master Yoda finished. "To Koru Neimodia will Master Skywalker and his Padawan go."

Ahsoka wasn't sure whether she should be happy, or terrified.

_So ends Chapter 2. Did I succeed in my depiction of the Council? Plz review. This was actually finished yesterday, but my internet was being a whiny bee, so it did not get uploaded._


	3. Chapter 3

_I've been waiting for you eager readers. We meet again at last. Yeah, it's corny, I know, but I'm in a Vader-ish mood today. Thanks for all the reviews guys. This chapter is another slow moving chapter, but rest assured, action will begin next chapter. I took a few creative liberties in describing Shili, but I have almost no source material about it. The same can be said about Ahsoka's early narration._

It was cold. Why are cruisers always so cold?

Shili was, from Ahsoka's few memories of it, warm and dry. Not hot, but warm. She also remembered a scent with it: spicy, probably from the turu grass, and a cool refreshing breeze from the fresh water oceans.

She did not remember her parents. She could recall only three faces from her early childhood.

The first was a Kel-Dor: Plo Koon. She remembered being frightened by his mask at first, but his calm and collected nature removed her fears. He had brought her to the Temple to be trained.

The second was Shaak Ti. She had learned of her culture from Shaak Ti. She had always viewed the Jedi Master as a maternal figure. The elder Jedi had taught her everything about Togruta heritage, how the Togruta were one of the oldest species in the Jedi Order, how to hunt akul, and how to make a headdress out of their teeth. Shaak Ti had even given her the Togruta sash that she wore now.

"Wear it proudly youngling," she had said. "Always be proud of who you are."

The third was Adi Gallia. She had interrupted a lesson being taught by Master Drallig. Cin Drallig may have been the Temple's resident blade master, but he had a short temper. He was assailing the young padawan about her "sloppy form," and "haphazard movements." Attracted by the noise, the Tholothian had interrupted the lesson on behalf of the sniffling youngling. After scolding Master Drallig, she asked if the young Togruta had been introduced to Shien. Master Drallig tried to explain the Form V variant, but failed miserably. Adi had then showed up the esteemed blademaster with a lesson the younglings would never forget. They were hypnotized by her glowing red blade as she flowed through the forms. She offered the younglings an attempt at an imitation. The youngsters had failed as miserably as Cin Drallig had, save for one. Ahsoka showed promise, and was awarded several private lessons with the Council member and her Padawan, Siri Tachi. Siri had seemed like a big sister, and the two would spar on occasion. She had met Obi-Wan for the first time when he interrupted their lessons for a private meeting with Siri. The two had come back rather disheveled and panting, but neither Adi nor Qui-Gon Jinn seemed to notice. When Ahsoka had asked Siri about it later, Siri turned about as red as her masters lightsaber and instructed her to never mention it to anyone again. She still was trying to figure out what precisely had happened.

She missed Siri.

She missed all her friends. The war had spread the Jedi thin across the galaxy, and, Council reprimands notwithstanding, she never got a chance to really talk with them anymore.

Perhaps she would make a new friend on the Council out of Master Koth.

She knew of the great Zabrak. She had seen him tortured under Grievous' hand. She had heard of his courageous actions on Dreshdae.

It had saddened her to hear that the Master would not accompany them to Koru Neimoidia. He had asked them to meet him on their way at Quellor.

That's where she was now.

Freezing her butt off in the bridge of the _Indomitable_.

"You cold Snips?"

Anakin gave her a concerned look. He must have noticed her shivering. "I'm fine master. Just, thinking."

The Jedi wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "You know Ahsoka, a few years ago, I never would've thought that I would have a headstrong Padawan with authority issues, who at random times would have prophetic dreams and fall into deep thought."

"Am I supposed to take that as a complement, master?"

He smiled at her. "Coming from me? Most certainly."

They shared a brief hug.

The blast doors opened with a pneumatic hiss. Appo entered with Rex and Fox at his side. "Generals, we are coming up on Quellor. Master Koth says that we are running low on time, so he wants to meet you as soon as we arrive."

Anakin stood. "Thank you Commander. Come on Ahsoka."

She stood as well, and followed Anakin towards the bridge.

Admiral Yularen turned to face them. "General, we are coming up on Quellor. ETA two standard minutes."

"Very good, Admiral. Prepare a shuttle to take us to master Koth's ship."

Yularen gave the Jedi a look of surprise. "We are not landing then?"

"No, Master Koth has not broken through the Federation's blockade here. So we will meet Master Koth on his flagship."

A clone from one of the navicomputers stood. "We're coming out of hyperspace, sir!"

The streaks of outpaced light in the windows ceased and were replaced by the thousands of stars in the galaxy. Directly in front, the windows showed the glowing green-blue sphere that was Quellor. Floating through space was smoke, scattered debris, and the remains of a battle fleet, foremost the Venator class assault ship: Eeth Koth's _Star of Iridonia_.

Anakin blinked in surprise. "It looks terrible out here."

Admiral Yularen was unfazed. "You should get to your shuttle before the Separatists return. I have a feeling that they will."

XXXXX

Eeth Koth had a presence about him. He looked wise, weary, yet warm and alert. He was waiting for the Master and Padawan pair in the hold.

Ahsoka strode up to him. "It is a pleasure to meet you Master Koth. I am Ahsoka Tano."

Master Koth had a look of mild disdain. "Yes, I read your file. It seems that you are as incorrigibly headstrong as your master."

Ouch. Maybe that was why Grievous had gone crazy on him; Master Koth appeared to have very candid opinions and no reluctance in stating them.

Anakin gave the Zabrak a dark look. Perhaps he had heard of the skepticism Eeth Koth had proclaimed about the Chosen One's knight hood. Anakin looked ready to say something but remained silent.

Eeth Koth pinched the bridge of his nose. "Headstrong Padawans are something I have too much of. Master Tone and his Padawan went to Koru Neimoidia two weeks ago, but have gained absolutely no ground. The youngling's constant deliberate defiance of his master's will have halted all progress on the northern hemisphere. Tsui Choi is in the other hemisphere. He wanted to go and assist the two in their plight, but an atmospheric disruption has grounded all flights. I wanted to go out and join them, but the Separatists have my fleet pinned down here, and I cannot leave my men at the hands of these droids."

"Then, why exactly did you summon us, Master?" Anakin inquired.

Master Koth gave them a sincere look. "Because—despite both your infamous willfulness—your skills will definitely be an asset to the troops on Koru Neimoidia."

Ahsoka saw Anakin's chest swell a bit with the compliment and, knowing from experience, assumed that his ego was swelling in tandem.

The Zabrak gave the ghost of a smile. "As I said, the droids on Koru Neimoidia have Master Tone and his troops pinned down near Kanay-Si. Ruune Haako has holed himself up inside his palace in Naantray. As far as clone intelligence can gather, he is attempting to leave Neimoidia with his treasures, and that has given us the advantage of time. If he even hopes to leave Koru with thirty percent of his belongings, then we will have twenty-one planetary rotations before he can go."

"What makes you think that thirty-percent is the magic number?" Anakin inquired.

"The Seperatist forces are beginning to grow thin in the Thanium sector, largely due to the efforts of Master Secura, and the funds necessary for the creation of droids in enough number to retake that sector will cost approximately three hundred million credits, approximately thirty percent of the wealth the Trade Federation has stored on Koru. If we can stop Haako from leaving with the money, then we can hasten the end of this war."

Anakin slapped his fist into his palm. "Sounds simple enough. All we have to do is send in a fleet and level Naantray."

"If only it were that simple," Master Koth sighed. "Naantray is completely surrounded by an impenetrable energy field. I ordered Aiwha Squad in there at the beginning of the assault, but they have not made contact since, and I suspect that they have either been captured or killed. They also have placed an extremely sensitive orbital mine-field over the western hemisphere, so the only way in is from the east, and the droids were ready for us when we arrived. It was an absolute nightmare. What is worse is that Sora Bulq is leading the defense."

Anakin's face darkened. The fallen Jedi's infamy had spread since his defection to the Confederacy. "All the more reason to finish things. With this mission, we can bring the war to a conceivable end."

Eeth Koth smiled. "Very well. I shall remain here and impede any droids that attempt to use the Quellor Run. You both are to leave immediately. May the Force be with you all."

_YAY! What did you think? I will upload the next chapter on the 25__th__. Think of it as my Christmas present to you. Perhaps you feel that you are being treated unfairly? Too bad!_


	4. Chapter 4

_Yes, I know that I said that the next chapter will be released on the 25__th__, but I decided to expand on the story a tad bit more. I must admit, Sora Bulq is a very cool character, and he really needs to be introduced to _The Clone Wars _series. Anyhoo, enjoy!_

The Providence-class star ship _Invincible _was surrounded by Muunificent-class escorts. Behind them was a Trade Federation Starship, with a constant line of cargo frigates going in and out. Behind that, was the planet Koru Neimoidia, a green and gray-swirled orb on the starry backdrop of the Koru system. The Neimoidians had colonized the world thousands of years ago to harvest its rich deposits of duranium ore and cortosis crystals. As their mining technology improved, vast tracts of lush rainforest had been mowed down, rivers dammed and redirected to power the facilities. Pollution had so ruined the atmosphere that the clouds were now gray, and the sunset's colors varied with the chemicals being spewed into the air.

It all disgusted Sora Bulq.

True, the Weequay had left the Jedi, and thus the Republic, and many senators were trying to push an eco-protection bill through the Senate, but, as usual, Trade Federation Representative Lott Dod had managed to bog down the bill in arbitrary motions, restrictions, treaties-of-something-or-other, investigatory actions, and appeals that the bill would become law well beyond the lifetime of the Senators, if it became law at all. And while the Supreme Chancellor had amassed extreme emergency authoritative powers, he still could not stop the works of the Trade Federation, whose profits would continue to pour into the pockets of Trade Federation officials, many of whom were leaders of the Confederacy of Independent Systems. In effect, they were giving the money that the Separatists were using to fund the war to them.

What disgusted Sora Bulq even more was that the Jedi Council did nothing to stop it.

He still supported the Jedi, and it pained him to kill any of the Order, but the only way to ensure true democracy was for the Jedi Council to sieze control of the Senate, and something so radical would never happen under the guidance of the current masters, who were so arrogant that, to them, any change was a bad change.

Dooku had shown him this, and that is why he had left.

Did he harbor doubts? Did he toss and turn in his bed at night over the thoughts of the Jedi he had slain, Jedi who thought that they were fighting for justice, Jedi who he had once trained?

Yes.

Absolutely yes.

But just looking at a world like Koru Neimoidia, so corrupted and ruined by self interested businessmen while the Republic did nothing, reaffirmed his resolve.

And what really disgusted Sora Bulq, was that he was indirectly working for the people who had ruined the world.

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave."

The voice behind him made the dark Jedi jump to his feet. He turned to face the hologram of Dath Tyrannus, known to most as Count Dooku.

"I was simply meditating on who my allegiances actually belong to Master."

The elderly man in the flickering hologram furrowed his brow in what looked like confusion. "Where do they lie?"

Sora bent his head at the neck in a gesture of respect. "To you, my master. And to the Jedi, and to democracy, yet I find that the only way to achieve our goal is by working for the enemies of what we stand for."

Dooku folded his hands and gave his apprentice a dark smile. "Worry not my apprentice. When we have achieved our goals, those who we 'work for' will be dealt with."

The image of Nute Gunray, Poggle, San Hill, and Wat Tambor sprawled dead on the floor by his hand made Sora smile to himself. "I eagerly await the day my lord."

"Very good Sora," Dooku smiled. "I also await that day."

"Why have you contacted me, my lord?"

Dooku straightened. "I have received word that Master Skywalker and his Padawan are coming to pay you a visit. As you know, Skywalker shares many of our views, yet he has yet to realize how to implement those changes."

"I am aware of this."

"Skywalker would be a great asset if he were to be brought over to our side, made to see things our way. However, his Padawan is tethering him to the Republic."

Bulq furrowed his brow. "You mean for me to kill a youngling my lord?"

"Certainly not my apprentice," Dooku assured. "His Padawan is also a visionary, but not quite in the same league as her Master. If we can sever her from the Jedi Order, and perhaps to our side, then we stand a better chance at enlightening Skywalker."

"What must I do master?"

"Master B'dard Tone is also on Koru Neimoidia, and he too has unorthodox views, yet he too is tethered by a Padawan. I'm sure that you remember Master Opel Scorra?"

Sora nodded, but did not speak. He had killed that Jedi. He remembered her because she had sealed her Padawan in another room, and the youngling had watched as the Weequay had slain his Master.

Dooku seemed not to notice. "I want you keep them delayed until Ruune Haako can get off world, and, if possible, orchestrate a situation that isolates the two Padawans together."

"It will be done, my lord."

_WOOO! Merry Christmas y'all! Sora came out so well! And Dooku is such a manipulative douche! Anyhoo, what did you think? Rate and Review PLZ!_


	5. Chapter 5

_So Chapter Five begins! Once again merry Christmas to my devoted readers, and I apologize for not getting this uploaded yesterday. My internet went toes up again. For those of you who are still in the dark as to the identity of the Padawan who has been mentioned in all the previous chapters, THE WAIT IS OVER! He finally appears in this chapter! Also appearing in this chapter is a Jedi favorite of mine, Barriss Offee. SHE KICKS MAJOR BUTT! Well, I say appear, she's actually just…a…hologram…(insert expression of being ashamed at the underwhelming-ness of the situation) Anyway, I AM SO JAZZED ABOUT THE NEW SEASON OF CLONE WARS! I CAN'T WAIT! But anyway, enjoy the story._

"And then when the clones attacked us, I was freaking out!"

"Yes, as was I Ahsoka, I think that it was the most terrifying day of my life."

"No, the most terrifying day in your life _so far_!"

Barriss chuckled and wiped a tear from her pale green cheek. "So, what dilemma are you in now Ahsoka?"

Ahsoka raised her eye ridges in a look of insult. "Can't a girl just call in and reminisce bonding through trauma with a friend?"

"When the Banking Clan goes bankrupt."

Ahsoka winced. Even when she was on Correllia, millions of light-years away, the Mirialan could still sense her troubles. "Well, actually I do have something I want to talk with you about…"

Barriss looked about as surprised as a statue.

"Just so you know, I'm not in trouble!"

"Well, that'll be first. But I thought you _were _in trouble, which was why the Council sent you to the Pit-hole*1 called Koru Neimoidia."

Ahsoka bristled. "Just because I'm not a goody-two-boots like you doesn't mean you can throw rocks!"

"Oh, but that wouldn't be fun, and life would get boring. You wouldn't want my life to get boring now would you?"

"I would rather swallow live Ando-spines. *2"

"Now that's the spirit! I remember when you and I were in the droid factory on Geonosis when…hey, I know what you're doing!"

"What am I doing?" The Togruta tried her best to look innocent, but failed miserably.

"You're trying to get me off topic! But it won't work!"

"Dang," Ahsoka muttered. "I was so close…"

"But no Felucian fungus-role.*3 What is it that you want?"

Ahsoka shuffled her feet. "Well, recently I've been having doubts…"

Barriss' humorous countenance melted away. "Doubts about what? The Council?"

"No, not them, but about myself."

"What about yourself?"

"It's just that, as this war draws on, I find myself starting to…drift."

"How do you mean 'drift'?"

"Well, it all started with Lux Bonteri. I met him on Raxus…"

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, WAIT! You were on _Raxus_? That's the seat of the Confederacy's Senate!"

"I know, please don't tell anyone Barriss, I was trying to end the war! We met with Mina Bonteri to try and get her to make a motion for peace negotiations to end the war!"

"Who's _we_?"

"That's unimportant. While I was there, I met Mina's son, Lux. We talked about the war, peace, Jedi, Dooku, our mentors and our plans for the future. While we were talking, I felt something."

"Distrust?"

"NO! No, it felt…_warm_. Creamy, and soft, like a fresh cup of hot cocoa. Like, a soft ribbon of satin." She blushed a tad bit. "It was like holding my lightsaber for the first time."

Barriss had adopted a third-interested, a-third-happy-for-her-best-friend, and a third-horrified look. She wanted to say "Intriguing," "How wonderful," and "How could you," all at the same time, and she tried to, but the only thing that came out was a sound reminiscent of a nerf being strangled. Her eyes were bugging out of her head and her arms shuddered like she was trying, unsuccessfully, to move them.

Ahsoka seemed not to notice. "Then we left, and I thought that the two of us could meet again under different circumstances. But then…"

"But then Mina was murdered. I heard about that. I guess Dooku has thrown off the charade and is controlling the Confederacy's Senate by fear."

"And there was no news on Lux. I don't know what's happened to him, and no one else cares. As far as the other Senators are concerned, he was the son of a conniving woman who tried to cripple the Republic by offering a faux peace treaty. And since my master found out, I can't go back to Raxus and find out."

A bit of wetness appeared on the Togruta's blue eyes.

Barriss' face bore a countenance of a concerned friend. "I'm sure he's fine, Ahsoka, but you should not get attached to people. As a Jedi, you are not allowed to form attachments that will interfere with keeping the peace."

"I know that, but after I left Raxus, I've been feeling, different. I feel like, maybe the Jedi Order isn't the best path for me. Perhaps this feeling is the Force's way of telling me that I'm walking down the wrong path, perhaps it's a message for me to go in a different direction with my life, perhaps—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, back up!" Barriss quickly terminated Ahsoka's ramblings with a firm glare and an equally firm voice. "I'm hearing a lot of 'perhaps's in those sentences, and not a lot of sense, Ahsoka Tano. What you speak of is utter madness! Listen, I know what happened to you back on Raxus, I felt the same way a few years ago when I was stationed with Master Luminara on Ansion, and I—"

"Wait, you know this feeling?" Ahsoka practically pounced on the hologram like a rabid rancor.

"Well…sort of. I mean, it's like how you get attached to a…a good book, or…or perhaps the beach, or…a good book, you know."

Ahsoka stared at Barriss like she had suddenly sprouted a second head. "THAT'S NOTHING LIKE I WAS TALKING ABOUT!"

"Well, I did stumble upon a rather lovely library during my time on Ansion, and I was very distraught when I had to leave it, I had become rather attached to that place…"

"You. Were. Attached. To. A…" Ahsoka looked ready to pop a vessel. Her eye twitched. "…Library?"

"Yes," Barriss said very seriously as though commenting on the weather. "Now, don't go telling anyone, I'm rather ashamed of it, actually."

Ahsoka merely stared at Barriss so long with her mouth open that her tongue might have gathered dust.

Barriss finally seemed to notice her friend's disbelief. She looked up. "What?"

"Never mind, never mind," Ahsoka quickly brushed off the discussion before the Mirilan could begin rambling about her love affair with a public establishment. "Where is this going?"

Barriss assumed a wise expression she must have picked up from Master Yoda. "Well, it's like this. Sometimes you feel like you need something, and when you leave, it's incomplete. All you need to do is go out and find that something that will help you complete that, or completely forget it and find something new, and complete _that._ For a brief while, after my stay on Ansion, I considered becoming Jocasta Nu's protégé and taking over the Jedi library after she'd retired, but I realized about two hours into my tenure that it wasn't for me. So, quite by accident, I happened to run into Nadhar Vebb. He introduced me to the healing art. I've been there ever since, and I feel complete."

Quoth Ahsoka, "Are you trying to recruit me to the Jedi healing corps?"

"NO!" Barriss fumed. "Don't be so shallow, Ahsoka! Try and read between the lines."

"Well, what am I supposed to read there?"

"The feeling of 'drifitng' that you have is because you left something unfinished. I'm sure that after the war is over, you will find Lux and make sure that he's alright, and your friendship will begin anew. And it will be nothing more than a friendship, am I correct?" she quickly added with a sharp, mother-like gaze.

"Of course."

"But more likely than that, you will find something _here _that will take your mind off of Lux. As Master Yoda says, 'Works in mysterious ways, the Force does.'"

"Well, what can I find here aside from battle droids and pollution?"

"I don't have all the answers, Ahsoka," Barriss' eyes grew melancholy. "That's something you're going to have to find for yourself."

Her head suddenly flicked to one side. Ahsoka heard a small, tinny voice that sounded like Luminara's, but she couldn't make out the words.

"Ooh, gotta go," Barriss muttered quickly. "The droids are on the move."

"May the Force be with you, Barriss."

"Farewell, Ahsoka. May the Force be with you." The hologram fizzed into nothingness.

Ahsoka sat in the quietness of her chamber. The minutes ticked by. Hours. Days. It seemed like an eternity that the young Padawan meditated. One by one she flicked through the mentors in her head, thinking about what they would say in her situation. She couldn't tell Anakin, so she just skipped over him. Adi probably wouldn't understand; she was a tad bit too militaristic to grasp the finer concepts of life outside the Jedi Order. She couldn't ask Siri; she didn't know her well enough to answer her questions, and Siri would never be coming back to answer them. Plo Koon wasn't really in the question; he was too withdrawn. He probably hadn't felt any emotion since before she was born. Council members were completely out of the question. Shaak Ti would probably get that disdainful look and say, 'Child, what in the name of Heaven are you talking about?' Yoda would probably say something similar, only backwards, and she didn't even want to think about what Mace Windu would say. He might have a coronary and drop on the spot. Oppo would just banish her. Kit Fisto would probably think she was making a joke. Even Piell probably wouldn't even listen to her. Younglings weren't his thing.

Perhaps _outside _the council. Other Jedi Knights…?

Aayla would just dismiss her claims as 'chemical misfiring in teenage brains that result in mistakes, nine-month packages, and men who don't give a hoot,' whatever that meant. Sometimes Aayla's 'grown-up girl talk' made no sense whatsoever. Jeisel. What would she think? She'd probably walk away, and K'Kruhk would just throw himself off a cliff rather than answer and come back a few days later none the worse for wear. That left Luminara. The best choice so far. Luminara usually acted maternally to all Jedi, and other people. Maybe she would understand.

But then, Luminara was with Barriss, and, from the way the latter had ended her transmission, it sounded as if the Jedi was about to become hip-deep in a battle.

That left no one.

So she meditated longer still on what Barriss had told her.

Once again, a small eternity passed, with the seconds blurring into hours.

In her montrals, she felt him before she saw or heard him.

The pneumatic hiss of the chamber door opening was the only sound that Appo made as he came into the room.

"General, we will be arriving on Koru Neimoidia in twenty standard minutes."

"Very good Commander. I will be there."

"We'll be expecting you."

Appo's departure was punctuated by the hiss of the door closing.

Ahsoka had not even opened her eyes.

Something about Appo frightened her. Every time she got near him, she felt tremors in the Force. And a vision.

Black. Something black, shiny, a flowing robe. And breathing, heavy, labored and rasping.

The image haunted her meditations, and her nightmares.

Standing, Ahsoka picked up the robe that she wore over her usual clothes. It was reddish-brown. Red was an unorthodox color. Brown was the typical color. Obi-Wan's was brown. Adi's was brown. Black was frowned upon, but not forbidden. She knew only three Jedi who had used black robes at one time. Ki-Adi-Mundi wore a black tunic. Shaak Ti had, for a time, worn black and gray robes, but had changed to brown. Then there was her master. While the aforementioned Jedi had had at least some redeeming pigments in their uniform, Anakin Skywalker was garbed completely in black and dark red.

Sometimes she worried for her master.

Nevertheless, she was his Padawan.

Donning the robe, she swept out of the room.

_Whoo, this is gonna be a really long chappie! It was originally going to be much shorter, but it got so good! I had to continue, and you readers have waited long enough for the mysterious Padawan to be introduced for me to make a new chapter. Just two seconds here, the asterisks you saw before will be explained. Barriss' "Pit-hole," is synonymous with the English "Hell-hole." For the Mirialans, they believe in The Pit, where bad souls go for eternal punishment. Ando-spines are mollusks that live on the water world of Ando. They are covered in venomous spines that can lead to paralysis and eventually death if not treated promptly. Felucian fungus roles are a spores of a ragic rolled in a bit of paper, which is then lit and the smoke is inhaled, causing a release of endorphins, hence "no cigar." Clever, no? Anyway, this note serves a double purpose, to indicate the passage of time, and to explain a few things before you forget about the asterisks. Counting this sentence, you have read 2,227 words, including the number! Mind boggling ain't it? I really must thank my sister; she was so helpful in writing this chapter. If I do go full time with writing, then I will definitely ask her to proof-read my stories, if she's not writing in conjunction with me! If you read all of this, you need to stop reading now, go to your kitchen, give yourself a cookie, come back, and keep on reading. I mean it. Get going. No, seriously, go have a cookie break, you're going to need it. Still there? SCRAM! Eh, whatever, but don't say I didn't warn you. Stubborn readers…_

"It would rain wouldn't it Master?"

"This little cloudburst? If you think that this is bad, Snips, then you should go to Kamino, or better, Jabiim. Now _that_ is some real rain."

Appo looked outside the gunship. The rain pattering on the ailerons combined with the pulsing hum of the engines for an almost sedative effect. "I really hate rain. It reminds me of death."

Rex shook his head. "What _doesn't _remind you of death?"

Appo actually paused to consider the question before realizing that his captain was asking a rhetorical question. The other members of the 501st and the two Jedi snickered.

It was a good thing he was wearing a helmet, because he was blushing so hard that he looked like a Zeltron.

Ever on to business, and probably trying to save his general from shame, Fox spoke up. "So, what are our objectives in this mission?"

"Well, it's all very simple boys," Anakin stated. "We rendezvous with Master B'dard Tone at the southern end of the rift valley, and our forces will join his. From there, we march to Naantray and lure the droids into charging us. When they do, the middle will collapse and retreat while the left and right will flank the enemy and catch them in a cross-fire. That will eliminate most of the enemy's forces, and the way to Naantray will be clear."

"What exactly are our plans to capture Naantray?" Appo inquired.

"Our spies have yet to find any good intelligence on how best to infiltrate the city," Ahsoka answered. "I'm sure we'll have a plan by the time we get there, won't we, Master?"

"We always do Snips."

A tinny voice crackled over the speakers. "Alright, men, we are coming up on the rendezvous. Hang on, we are facing fast headwinds, so our descent will be…" the voice paused before saying with perhaps a bit too much sadistic glee, "a little thrilling."

That's when the ship dropped about thirty meters straight down.

The clones in the cabin groaned. Beneath his helmet, Fox was about as green as a Rodian.

With a bit more rocking, the gunship leveled out and began a more controlled descent.

The troopers in the LAAT looked just short of puking by the time the craft hit the ground, and Ahsoka, admittedly, felt no better. The only one who seemed unaffected by the bumpy ride, was Anakin.

"Alright, men, let's MOVE!"

Ever obedient, the troopers swallowed their lunches for the second time that day and exited the craft, followed by Ahsoka.

The torrential rain had diminished to a light mist, but the ground was laced with puddles and was muddy. Ahsoka wrinkled her lip in disgust as she extracted a boot from the mud with a horrible slurping sound.

Anakin smirked as he extricated the arm of a battle droid from the muck. "I'll bet that this rain and mud is really slowing down both sides."

"And it does no good for morale either," Rex commented.

"I hope that we route the Seppies soon, 'cause I don't want to have to trek through his stuff anymore than I have to," Fox grumbled as flecks of mud stained the blue pigmentation of his uniform.

"Speaking of trek, master, where is the rendezvous point?" Ahsoka inquired as she pulled her other leg from the muck as well, completing one step.

"About a mile's walk from here."

And with those six words, the 501st's morale plummeted like a rock thrown into a lake.

After a mile-long trek up what must have been the steepest hill on the planet, the beleaguered Jedi and the 501st reached the top of the hill. From the vantage point, they could see a square trench dug out of the mud, inside of which was a wall, also made of mud. Inside the entire wall/trench establishment, was a colony of white tents. They had arrived at the rendezvous point.

With a whoop, Ahsoka Force-jumped off the hill with an elegant flip, and began a graceful descent to the base of the hill, robe fluttering behind her like wings.

Anakin looked at Rex. Both had at least some mud on every part of their anatomy. "The next time we invade a planet, lets park closer to the rendezvous."

"Yes sir," Rex responded. It was definitely the best advice that he had heard all day.

Anakin and the clones began their trip down the cliff, which consisted more of sliding trough the muck than actually walking.

Ahsoka had a head start on all of them, and touched down at the base of the hill before any of the others were half-way down. She turned and cupped a hand to her mouth. "C'mon, Skyguy, we're getting old down here!"

"All in good time Snips!" her master called back. "I'm staying with my troops, and not showing off!"

"I'm not showing off!" she retorted. "I'm just showing that I'm faster than you."

"So you're showing off?"

"Touché."

Anakin's boots touched the base of the hill with a soft splat. He shot Ahsoka a smug look and continued on, with a fuming Padawan close behind.

The 501st and the Jedi entered the settlement from a small path, raised above the trench and through a low part in the wall. The camp was a mix of sensations. There were blaster shots from the clones keeping their aim sharp, the smell of roasting meat from the mess tent. The groans of the wounded and the dying. The tinny voices of troopers reporting from scout positions. All the cacophony seemed to mute itself out to Ahsoka, and she could hear only what she wanted. The spatial awareness afforded by her montrals and enhanced by the Force allowed her to sense even the smallest insect hovering over a clone's mess tray, so she could have walked through the camp with her eyes closed. That said, she rarely had time to hone her natural skills to the level that Shaak Ti had. Though Master Ti had assured her that increased awareness came with age, Ahsoka hadn't noticed any change in her own abilities. It worried her. She decided to seek out Master Ti at the first opportunity afforded.

The 501st and its leaders had now reached the approximate center of the camp. There was a large holo-table, with two figures around it. One was a clone trooper whose armor was marked with amber glyphs and symbols. The other was a male Coway garbed in brown with yellow markings. Ahsoka's eyes were drawn to the heavy looking prosthetic arm that he bore.

Anakin strode up to the table ahead of his Padawan and troops. "Master, I am Anakin Skywalker. I believe you are expecting us."

"Yes, I am." The response was raspy and quiet. "I am B'dard Tone. I trust you came prepared for tough times."

The Coway turned, and Ahsoka stifled a gasp at what she saw. The entire left side of his face was covered in a metal plate, which stretched from the far end of his jaw, over what used to be his eye, to the back of his skull

He seemed to notice. He looked beyond her master and at her, not unkindly. "Don't worry youngling, most people do that when they see me."

The ice broken, Anakin inquired. "What happened?"

The Coway's eyes darkened. "I was on Nadiem with Master Luminara and her Padawan. Grievous was in charge of the battle, and when Offee's strategy turned the tide of the battle, he did what he does best. Flee. My Padawan and I caught up with him, but I was sorely outmatched." His hand floated up to touch the metal on his face. "I was lucky to have escaped with my head. With me incapacitated, that monster fled to his starfighter and began to take off. Zephata'ru'tor was a Duinuogwin, so naturally he tried to fly after the coward, but Grievous activated the hyperdrive while Zeph was in front and…"

A dead silence fell as B'dard finished his tale. He hung his head.

Anakin reached out and placed a hand on the Coway's shoulder. "I am so sorry for your loss, Master."

Slowly, Anakin drew off his glove and revealed the durasteel that was now his hand. "Dooku, on Geonosis."

B'dard looked Anakin in the eyes. "It never feels the same does it?"

"No, not really."

Replacing the glove, Anakin gestured for Ahsoka to come forward. "This is my Padawan."

Taking a hint from Barriss, Ahsoka bent into a partial kneel, inclined her head, and spread her arms out to the sides. "Padawan Ahsoka Tano at your service, Master."

The Coway smiled and placed his hands on his hips. "I think that we will get along very well Padawan Tano."

"I certainly hope so Master."

From farther away, a new voice was heard. "Master!"

B'dard's head snapped in the direction of the voice. "You are about to meet _my_ Padawan. I certainly hope he behaves more civilly to you than he does to me."

Anakin and Ahsoka followed his gaze. A group of beings rounded the corner created by a line of tents. Most were clones, but the one at the head of the group caught Ahsoka's eye like a fish on a hook.

It was a male Togruta.

A very _cute _male Togruta.

A very long time ago, five-year old Ahsoka had accidentally jammed an oil-fried thimiar nugget into an electrical outlet in the Temple mess-hall. Extremely mortified, she refused to ask an older master for help, and, when her attempts to remove the nugget with her limited Force abilities failed miserably, she resorted to prodding the food with a metal fork in an effort to extract it. What happened next was always a blur to Ahsoka, but Barriss often told the story (through several bouts of maniacal cackling) of the young Togruta Padawan shooting across the room, lit up like an ion cannon, trailing gray smoke in her wake. Never since had Ahsoka felt quite such an electrical shock as that day.

But now, standing here, watching what had to be the most beautiful creature she had ever seen striding slowly towards her as though from one of those ridiculous holo-vids she had once caught Senator Amidala watching, she could have sworn she had stuffed her finger in another electric socket.

His eyes were blue, fierce like a Coruscant thunderstorm, and the way he walked made Ahsoka's knees feel as though they had turned to water. He moved with a certain air of power and prestige, yet, at the same time, a hint of deadliness that most Togruta seemed to possess in their intimidating forms. His robes, though caked with mud and filth, could never disguise the proud sash swung around his waist, part of every Togruta's culture. Neither could they, Ahsoka thought with a light blush, disguise the muscles undoubtedly beneath. From the tips of his montrals to the end of his dark boots, the male stood out brilliantly against the white armor of the troops, and no amount of fatigue, anxiety, or frustration could conceal the instant and surprising spark of emotion that stirred in Ahsoka's young heart. It was as though someone had punched her in the chest.

"Codi, where have you been?" Master Tone demanded, not unkind but not gentle either.

"I've been doing a little bit of reconnaissance, Master," the Togruta male answered stiffly, arriving at the Coway's side. "The droids have an outpost about twenty-five clicks northeast of our position. If we want to get past them, we have to send a strike team."

The male paused and cast Ahsoka and Anakin a glance as though just realizing they were there. Ahsoka ducked her gaze when his blue eyes swept over her form. She felt as though he could see through her, and another blush colored her cheeks. She thanked the Force for her red coloration.

"My apologies, Master Tone, I did not realize we had company."

Ahsoka blinked. _Master _Tone? Did that mean this Codi person was Tone's Padawan?

"This is Anakin Skywalker and his Padawan, Ahsoka Tano," B'dard introduced with a wave of his cybernetic hand. Anakin gave a nod, and Ahsoka pretended to be intrigued by a speck of dirt on the table. "They have brought with them the 501st legion to reinforce us."

The Padawan cast them a polite, acknowledging glance, but his eyes were stormy clouds of anger. He hissed venomously, "Of course, we would not _need_ reinforcements if we had simply struck that energy collector when we had first arrived."

"Do not open up this line of argument with _me, _Padawan!" Tone snapped quickly, his metal hand squeaking as it formed an anxious fist. "As long as you are my student, you will respect me and heed my wisdom."

"Certainly…_Master,_" the male lowered his head as if assuming humility, but Ahsoka was fairly certain she was not the only one who could detect the fury and anger swirling in the Padawan's Force signature. "I apologize."

B'dard didn't look that convicned, but he pressed on. "I assume that you two have come up with a strategy to help us take Naantray?"

"We have, Master," Anakin responded, making it a point to say the word as he shot B'dard's Padawan a venomous glare. "As you can see from this hologram, the shortest route between us and Naantray is through the rift valley. The droids are there en masse, so our strategy is to lure them into a charge where our central forces will buckle and pull the droids into a crossfire between the left and right flanks. From there, the route to Naantray should be clear."

B'dard's metal hand flashed in the dim sunlight as it rested on his chin. "Interesting. That should work. Why haven't I worked with you before?" He cast Anakin an approving smile.

"But, Master," the male Togruta interrupted with a dark frown, "I just told you that we found a droid outpost not too far from where Master Skywalker is planning to stage his attack. If we are to have any hope of winning the battle, we must destroy the outpost first."

B'dard closed his eyes in what looked like pensive thought. "Perhaps a strike team of about twenty troopers can go to the outpost and neutralize it for us."

"Excellent idea, Master," the Togruta smiled sarcastically, "Especially since _I _suggested it."

"You will be respectful when you address your master!" Anakin lashed out in a fierce voice. He could take it no longer. Master Tone might put up with this infinite speck's recalcitrant behavior, but _he _would not. He felt like smacking the youngling dead in the face.

"Of course, I apologize…_Master._"

Anakin had had enough of this twerp. The comment, if anything, did _not_ pacify Master Skywalker. It infuriated him beyond belief, and he opened his mouth to say so, but B'dard gave him a quick glance, and he ruefully swallowed his anger.

"Perhaps _you_ in your great wisdom could lead the strike force," Tone sharply said to the Togruta.

Rather than being mortified, the Padawan's face twisted into a delighted grin. Ahsoka was appalled. She would never dream of behaving in such a way towards a Jedi Master. Ever!

"It would be an honor…_Master_," he replied, tilting his head. He turned on his heel and began to leave.

"But," Tone quickly halted the insolent Togruta in his red-footed steps, "You will take Ahsoka _with _you. By your leave, of course, Master Skywalker."

Ahsoka felt like she'd swallowed a live toad. _What?_

"Certainly, Master Tone!" Anakin said brightly, placing a hand on Ahsoka's back and escorting her forward to the Togruta male's side. "She is more than qualified for a strike force. Aren't you, Snips?"

Ahoska dug her heels into the mud as Anakin pushed her, trying desperately to think up an excuse not to go anywhere with the rude, insolent, beautiful male Padawan. But nothing came to mind. Or mouth, for that matter. Only a few, small noises like a mouse droid being kicked down a stairwell. "Well, I…I…I…that is to say, um…w-well…"

"Then it's decided!" Anakin proclaimed, clasping his hands and beaming with approval.

The male Togruta seemed rooted to the spot and bore an expression akin to smelling something ferociously horrendous.

Master Tone eyed him. "Codi?"

"Certainly, _Master._ As you will." The words seemed to be physically painful for him to speak. His lips were in a thin line like he had sucked on a sour fruit. Ahsoka frowned. What, was she _that _horrible?

"Very well. You are to leave immediately. Master Skywalker, if you will come with me. We have much to discuss." B'dard gestured Anakin towards a large tent off to one side of the table.

The Togruta male had started to walk before Ahsoka noticed. She had to quickly jog to catch up.

Coming into an open area where a fair number of clones were sitting and articulating various miscellanea, the Togruta male gestured towards several clones with an outstretched arm. "You, you, you, and the lot of you, gear up and follow me."

"Follow _us_ you mean," Ahsoka glared at her companion.

"Oh, yes, I forgot about you," he said, barely looking over his shoulder.

Ahsoka bristled. "Look here you…."

She paused. It occurred to her that she had yet to learn the Togruta's name.

"I'm Codi Ty, not that it's any of your concern, Padawan."

"HEY!" Ahsoka reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to turn him around. She ignored the rush of heat that she got from feeling the muscle ripple beneath her palm. "You can't talk to me like that, _you're_ a Padawan too! And I've fought in more battles than you'll ever know!"

"And yet you're still alive." With a wench, Codi pulled away from her hand.

"I've survived Master Skywalker. I can survive _anything_, you stuck-up, half-witted, _scruffy_-_looking nerf_-_herder_!"

That got his attention. He spun, the storms in his eyes had turned to cyclonic wind disturbances. "_Who's_ scruffy-looking?"

Ahsoka crossed her arms and looked him square in the face.

With a growl, Codi turned on heel and walked away. "Just try to stay out of my way, _Tano_."

That was the moment when Ahsoka officially decided to hate this insolent, angry and beautiful person with all her being.

_Whoo! Finished! So what'd you think? I thought it went rather well. If the scenes of Ahsoka describing Codi sounded pretty legit, it's because I asked my sister to write what strikes her about the character of a boy when she meets him. Anyway, for you skeptical peeps out there who say "HEY! NO O.C.s!" They are not O.C.s! :-P Look 'em up on Wookieepedia! Anyway, I really liked this chapter. PLZ rate and review! Feedback is much appreciated!_


	6. Chapter 6

_YAY! New Part! Ok, so I have been getting questions about this being an Anakin/Ahsoka Pairing. It is not. I just don't _do _master/student stuff. I mean, seriously, Komari Vosa loved her master, and look what happened to her! So, no this is not an Anakin/Ahsoka pairing. I think that you guys will like this chapter. The past few chapters have been nothing but talk, talk, talk. We're going to get back into the action here! With the advent of the continuation of _The Clone _Wars, I think a word on chronology is in order. This story takes place directly after the episode "Heroes on Both Sides." It takes place before The Night Sisters trilogy. Once again, I cannot express my excitement. Enjoy!_

Battle droid OM-447 patrolled the rampart of Outpost 258. The outpost's placement on the edge of the rift valley gave a fantastic view of the scenic hills and valleys of Koru Neimoidia. OM-447 was not there for the sights though. He was assigned to protect the assets of the Trade Federation, manifested in Naantray and Ruune Haako. Far above, Sora Bulq had been personally assigned by Count Dooku to protect the Seperatist leader. Of course, while battle droids were unquestioningly devoted to the Trade Federation, they still considered that a change in career might be good for them, what with Jedi slicing them in half at an almost regular basis.

To OM-447, the whole business of Koru Neimoidia's wealth being shipped off world was counterproductive. He remembered very well the smug look on San Hill's face as he proudly declared the new interest rates that would be applied to the Seperatist's spending. Poggle the lesser had passed out, but when he came to, he said so many Geonosian swears directed at the gaunt Muun that the protocol droid TC-16 couldn't keep up with it, and had abbreviated it to "The Great Poggle hates your guts with the burning passion of a thousand stars," as the Geonosian continued with his profane tirade. When Wat Tambor demanded to know why the interests were so high, Hill had responded that the rates had also been raised on the Republic side, and that all rates must be the same. Dooku pointed out that, though honorable, the interest rates were detrimental to the Seperatist agenda. Nute Gunray concurred, and ordered Hill to lower the rates from an exorbitant 25%. Hill conceded and sent his "top financial minds" to find the lowest rate possible, and the meeting was adjourned.

A week later, AM-551 arrived with the new rates.

24%.

Nute had almost popped a vessel. What happened next was quite grisly. Suffice to say, AM-551 was no longer with them.

So, to finance the war, the Trade Federation had to pull extra funds from their purse worlds. Neimoidia itself had been captured, and unless the Republic was beaten back here, Cato Neimoidia would be the last purse world.

A small noise picked up by OM-447's audio-sensors brought him from his musings.

It sounded like it was coming from beneath the cliff face.

With a confused state of mind, he looked over the edge and scanned for anything abnormal.

Nothing was amiss. A large, white pylat bird squawked at him from a branch jutting out of the cliff-face.

So the droid continued on his way.

Beneath the cliff face, Codi Ty, Ahsoka Tano, and twenty troopers exhaled a sigh of relief. They had been climbing up the face of the cliff for the past forty-five minutes, and had gone without detection, that was until Ryk had grabbed a fistful of rotten rock. It had crumbled, and the rocks had gone tumbling down the cliff. Ryk began what looked like a final descent, when Codi released the cliff, fell straight down, snagged the clone's arm, and dug his fingers into the cliff before the droid had looked over the rampart.

The pylat bird on the branch regarded them with what looked like bemused intrigue. It cocked its head and looked at Ahsoka with one eye, hooting softly. "Gosh, you guys are ugly, clumsy, _and _clueless," it seemed to say.

While the Togruta on the cliff did not grace it with a response, she did stick her tongue out at it.

The bird ruffled its feathers and squawked at her. Sticking its beak into the air, the pylat bird straightened his feathers and took flight.

"Having close encounters of the avian kind commander?" The clone lieutenant smirked up at her.

"Careful there, Slice," said another. "I hear she bites."

Several clones chuckled.

Codi placed a finger on his lips to silence the troopers. He had already clambered back up to his previous position on the cliff.

Using the Force, he drew his lightsaber from his belt and whispered to the men, "Well, we'll soon see how hard she bites."

Ahsoka had to admit, once Codi was out in the field, his jerk-level went down a notch.

With a soft grunt, Codi pulled himself up over the edge of the cliff. His head snapped left, then right, scanning for sentries.

He gestured with his hand that the coast was clear. Ahsoka hauled herself up over the edge, grateful that her feet were back on solid ground. The troopers followed, silent as a burial field. There were no droid sentries in view.

"Alright boys," Codi hissed. "We need to take out the communications tower first. After that, we just kill all the droids before they can leave. Got it?"

There was a unanimous consent of nodding. The clones began to move off. Codi began to follow, but Ahsoka seized his arm. "I didn't hear any female references in that sentence."

"Oh, silly me," he said. "Forgive me, but it is so _easy_ to forget you."

"Don't think that you can just ignore me Ty. "

He didn't answer her, but the Force told her enough about his emotions. _Just watch me_.

That clinched it. She was going to prove him wrong, she was going to show him first hand that the he would remember the name Ahsoka Tano. That the whole _galaxy_ would know that name.

She elbowed past him as she caught up to the troops. Did her eyes deceive her, or did she see an appreciative smile spread across his sunset features? It was beautiful, whatever it was. It made her stagger just to look at it. The storms in his blue eyes appeared to have receded to a small cloudburst. But he seemed to notice that she was looking, even if it was out of the corner of her eye. The storms returned to his eyes with new vigor, and he looked away.

_So be it._

The procession of troops and Jedi continued on with dead silence. Any noise could give away their position.

A fork in the road appeared. On hall went straight, the other went left.

Codi motioned for his troops to follow, and began down the left hallway.

With a quiet "ahem," Ahsoka gained his attention. She pointed down the straight path.

Codi's brow furrowed and his eyes became stormier. He insisted that they go left. Well, when the word "insisted" is used, he gesticulated fiercely in that direction.

Ahsoka put her hands on her hips and stared at him so hard, it was a miracle that he did not catch on fire.

To see two people argue non-verbally is something to behold, as the clones found out that day.

Codi crossed his arms over his chest curled his lip in an almost feral snarl, and the sharp incisors that Togruta posses added to the effect.

Ahsoka was unmoved, and merely intensified her stare.

The two stared daggers at each other for what seemed like ten minutes.

With an exasperated sigh, Codi let his arms flops to his side and gestured for Ahsoka to lead the way, and she did.

But not before shooting a very annoying smile at Codi.

He seethed silently and followed.

At the end of another corridor, around a corner, a single droid sentry walked the rampart. The clones crouched and shouldered their weapons. Codi brought his lightsaber hilt into position, thumb on the activation stud, but Ahsoka motioned for them to stop.

A several months prior, she, her master, Obi-Wan, and Rex were working with Shaak Ti in a covert mission on one of the moons of Ando. A single battledroid had revealed itself, but did not see the foursome. While Rex had nearly jumped over the rocks that they were hiding behind, Shaak Ti had stopped him and told him "There are alternatives to fighting." She had lifted a rock from the ground, tossed it in the air to test its weight, and then lobbed it with such force that the battle droid was relieved of his head.

Ahsoka found a loose stone of appropriate size and lobbed it at the droid.

With a CLANG, the droid hit the ground like a ton of bricks.

She looked at Codi smugly. He was smoldering in place, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Hey, what happened to ER-322?"

The distinct voice of B-1 battle droid made the entire group freeze. Almost afraid of what she might see, Ahsoka turned her head to look.

A single battle droid was nudging the remains of his fallen comrade with a foot. Behind it were three more droids: a droideka, and two commando droids.

Not good.

Codi began to whisper orders to his men, when his words were drowned out with a cry of "THERE THEY ARE!" followed by the phrase "GET 'EM!"

The blaster bolts began to fly like raindrops on Kamino.

"Wonderful job, Tano," Codi snarled as he ignited his lightsaber. "You have just single-handedly blown our cover! Congratulations!"

He flipped over the crates that they were behind and began deflecting blaster bolts, making a slow advance towards the droids.

Ahsoka was seconds behind, shoto and saber bared. "Well you know what? Next time, you can kill your _own _battle droids. I won't help you at all!"

"Then you'll be helping the mission won't you?"

"Well, if it wasn't for me, we would have taken a wrong turn." Ahsoka sliced off a battle droid's head, scissors-style. "Remember when you said that we should turn left, and I said straight? Well, we went straight, and look!" She jabbed her lightsaber forward through a droid and in the direction she was looking. "There's the tower!"

True, the structure stood not twenty meters away.

"So you lead us to the tower to blow our cover just before we get there? Brilliant!" Codi punctuated the sentence by redirecting a wrist-rocked back to its owner.

Ahsoka opened her mouth to say something, but she didn't get the chance because a loud voice began to exclaim "INTRUDER ALERT! INTUDER ALERT!" and innumerable battle droids began to converge on their position.

A clone captain came to Ahsoka's side. "Any bright ideas, Commander?"

Nothing came to mind. A straight charge through the wall of battle droids seemed to be the only option.

_Insert row of bullets here to indicate change of vantage point. X-P_

A soft boom reached the ears of Anakin Skywalker as he and B'dard Tone walked through the camp.

The Coway looked at him. "Did you hear that, Skywalker?"

"Yep," he responded, pinching the bridge of his nose. "It sounds like my Padawan."

Snatching a pair of binoculars from his belt, Master Tone pointed them in the direction of the outpost. The longer he looked, the lower the corners of his mouth became. "Well, I guess subtlety is out of the question."

Anakin placed his own pair of binoculars to his eyes. "It never was her specialty."

From what Anakin could tell, the two Padawans were causing absolute chaos. He could see Ahsoka working her way across the bridge, her green blades flowing in harmony with each other. Close behind her, was Codi, but the way he moved troubled Anakin. He could identify lightsaber styles usually, although he had difficulty differentiating Shii Cho from Vaapad, but he could not identify the male Togruta's movements. It was taking care of business certainly, but his curiosity was piqued. Putting the thought out of his mind, Anakin shifted his gaze to the troopers. He saw two drop like flies at that moment, but the droids were dropping even faster at the blaster-bolts of the clones. It was truly a sight to behold.

"It looks like they're doing a good job Master."

"Perhaps, but they must take out the droid's communication before the clankers call for reinforcements, or all will be lost."

"How so?"

"Our position will be revealed, and an airstrike will serve to bump us off in one fell swoop."

A sobering viewpoint. But there was nothing to be done.

_Come on Ahsoka. Don't let me down._

_Re-insert a line of bullets to indicate a change of vantage point._

All things considered, things were going better than she expected.

The droids were easy to neutralize, they must have been taken completely by surprise.

That was odd. A position like this should be more heavily fortified.

Ah, well.

"Troops, follow me, the command center is this way," Codi roared as he kicked a droid to the floor and stabbed it.

"No," Ahsoka retorted. "It's this way."

"I'm pretty sure it's _this _way Tano_,"_ Codi growled.

"No, it's this way!"

"It is most definitely _this _way!"

"When will you realize that I am _always _correct about directions?"

"When you are correct about directions."

"Well, I'm going this way. Any of you troopers coming with me?"

The clones looked at each other. A loyalty decision, but then, it wasn't much of a decision.

"We are obliged to follow our commander," one said.

Ahsoka's face soured as Codi's countenance became smug.

"FINE! I'll go alone!"

Codi paled. Even if he hated the universe and all beings in it, he couldn't let a comrade go into enemy territory alone.

But then, if he conceded, he would look weak in front of his men.

Juxtaposed, he said nothing as Ahsoka strode away; he just gaped until she turned a corner.

Ahsoka treaded through the corridors as softly as a nexu. Even if subtlety was not her favorite plan, it worked.

Unfortunately, she wasn't very good at it, as was proven when she literally ran into a pair of super battle-droids.

The two droids regarded the frozen Padawan silently for a few seconds.

Then they pointed their cannons and began to fire.

Deflecting a shot away from her body and dodging a second, Ahsoka sliced though both simultaneously and advanced into what must have been the control room.

HA! She had been right!

Again…

The screens glowed green with technical readouts. A group of about ten battle droids were inside the room.

"Distract her, I'll send the distress signal," one with yellow markings said.

The droids trained their sights on Ahsoka as the yellow-one charged for a panel.

Too easy.

Ahsoka threw her saber and charged forward with her shoto. The initial throw took out at least four, and two had been slain by her hand already. With a hum, the saber returned and hewed another battle droid.

That left three.

With the simplest form she knew, Ahsoka dispatched the last of the droids without breaking a sweat. The yellow one was not half-way to the console. Ahsoka extended a hand and summoned the droid with the Force. The droid tried to run, but his metal heels screeched across the floor in vain. He got closer. Ahsoka raised her blade to slice him in half-

A slight tremor in the Force alerted her, and Ahsoka bent over backwards to avoid the blade of a Commando droid.

The yellow droid was released, and began to scramble for the console.

While the Commando droid's strike had distracted her, it had left its arm exposed, and Ahsoka wasted no time in relieving the droid of it.

It barely reacted as the plasma swept through the circuitry, and the appendage dropped.

Instead, with murderous vengeance in its visual-receptors, its other hand lashed out and grabbed her throat with such force, that she dropped both her lightsabers.

Holding her with one hand, the droid lifted her off the ground as it squeezed the life out of her. Lights popped in front of the Togruta's eyes as the blackness encroached on her field of vision.

Then, like an angel from the heavens, a figure charged in and cleaved the droid clean down the middle with a blade of blue plasma.

Everything was in gray-scale as Ahsoka slumped to the floor.

A feeling of warmth on her back.

A hand in hers.

A voice: "Tano! Tano stay with me, AHSOKA!"

Color reentered her vision, and Ahsoka raised her head to see something that completely blew her mind.

Codi Ty was kneeling on the ground. He was holding her, his face inches from hers, wrought with concern. No, it was beyond concern. It almost looked like he was in pain.

He was holding her hand.

He was holding her.

Suddenly, the blood rushed back into her system as her heart-rate went through the roof, and a magnificent blush illuminated her face.

He noticed. His face split into what must have been the most radiant smile ever seen in the galaxy, and his eyes were no longer stormy. They were a beautiful, clear deep blue, like the oceans on Mon Calamari, only with that tinge for amethyst that only Togruta have.

But a horrible thought entered her mind. She wanted to scream and jump to her feet, but she could not. All that came out was a strangled: "The battle droid!"

Codi's smile disappeared, and his head snapped to the side.

Ahsoka's lolled in tandem.

The droid had his fingers on the button. He was reaching out to press it, centimeters away.

It was all over time moved in slow motion as the digits extended to seal their fate.

BLAM!

And the battle droid dropped to the floor, a fresh blaster-hole through the head.

Ahsoka blinked in surprise. She looked up and saw a clone in the doorway, the barrel of his DC-15 smoking.

He turned to look at them. "Commanders, are you alright?"

"We're fine, Bastion. Good shot," Codi said with an appreciative smile. Oh, gods it was a beautiful smile. It probably outshone the super-nova she and Master Kcaj had escaped back in Atlus-Prime.

Then, Ahsoka realized with a blush that she was still cradled in Codi's arms.

He realized it at the same time.

She jumped to her feet, ignoring the wave of dizziness as she stood.

She swayed a bit, and Codi moved to catch her, but she caught herself.

Then she fixed him with a get-your-hands-off-me stare.

His hands were immediately pinned to his side. He cleared his throat, and rubbed one of his arms with his hand.

Both desperately tried to abstain from eye-contact.

An awkward silence was in the making, but fortunately for them both, clones never allow awkward silence.

"Sir, we are planting charges. Would you like to oversee?"

Music to Codi's ears. "YES!...Ah, I mean, certainly, Trooper, lead the way."

He followed the trooper out, leaving Ahsoka in the room, alone, and with a mess of emotions in her mind that did not make sense.

_I promise, this is the last time that I will tell you to insert a line of bullets to indicate a change of vantage point._

DE-566 approached the door. He reached up to knock.

"Enter."

The rasp of the voice came before the droid's knuckles had reached the metal.

With a hiss, the doors opened. Sora Bulq was sitting on a cushioned stool, legs crossed and arms on his knees with his back turned to the door. He was silhouetted against the magnificent view the transparisteel window offered of Koru Neimoidia's eastern ocean.

He always got nervous when he approached his commanders, even with good news, especially after a tenure as General Grievous' replacement for his previous commanding droid. "Sir, the outpost on the rift valley near Naantrya has been lost."

He readied himself for a howl of anger, and a hum of plasma, and the feeling of going off-line, but it did not come.

"Thank you 556. You may return to your post."

He could tell when he was dismissed. 556 turned and exited without further ado. Beyond the door, he was positively jazzed. He had survived bringing bad news to a superior.

He skipped down the hallway, coming as close to humming as any battle-droid ever could, or would.

What the exiting droid did not see, was the slow, and what must have been the most evil smile that ever has crossed the countenance of a Weequay spread across Sora Bulq's face.

Everything was going as planned.

_CLIFF HANGER BABY! X3_

_Yes, I know, I hate cliff hangers too, but hey, I liked it, and I won't be able to update at least until next week. School starts tomorrow. Anyway, corny? Maybe, But I thought it kind of worked. I like a bit of character development, and this story packs a TON of it. Anyway, good night, God bless, and please review!_


	7. Chapter 7

_Alright, I know you must hate me for not posting, but I've had lots of stuff in school. Anyway, this is a clone's POV. I really want to explain some backstory in this one, and develop character, so buckle in for a long chappie!_

Clone Captain CT-2104 walked down the jungle path with his fellow troopers. The steamy air was condensing on his Phase II armor, decorated with amber pigments. This would have meant that the condensing drops of liquid would have clouded his visor, if he were wearing Phase I armor. Aside from primitive cooling systems, Phase I armor had absolutely no advantages on the battle field. They were heavy, clunky, poorly camouflaged, and they weren't even blaster resistant. Not in the least.

Through the efforts of the Kaminoans, spearheaded by Halle Burtoni, the troopers had been furnished with new armor, Phase II. In addition to a better HUD, more flexibility, and a _sweet_ climate control, the thing actually functioned as armor. Direct shots aside, the armor could take shots from any angle less than 60 degrees, and leave the trooper unharmed.

Unfortunately, the droids rarely came at you from less than 60 degrees, and not even the strongest normal armor could hold up to the firepower of a B-2 Super battle droid.

So, even with the advances, he saw his brothers die.

Two had been lost during the raid on the outpost, shot right in the head by the same sniper. A well-aimed throw brought a thermal detonator into the droid's vantage point, and served to eliminate it, but the men were dead.

He had noticed the effect that it had had on the Jedi.

After Geonosis, he had been assigned to the command of Jedi Master B'dard Tone. The Coway had survived the slaughter in the arena, and had lead 2104 and his brothers into battle with righteous fury. The droids before them had been leveled, but the Seperatists had escaped, and the war had begun.

Master Tone had accepted his command and position as General of the Grand Army of the Republic with much enthusiasm. As much as he denied it, Tone was lusting revenge for the Jedi who lay dead in the arena.

And lusting was not an overstatement.

On one occasion, 2104 had walked past Tone's quarters and heard him whispering fervently to himself: "There is no fatigue, only the Force. There is no pain, only the Force. There is no death, only the Force," over and over. It gave the impression that Tone was losing his sanity.

Tone's Padawan at the time was Zephata'ru'tor, a young Duinuogwuin, or Star Dragon. The youngling had a mysterious air that came with all of his kind, and he often served as an anchor for Tone, when the Coway started to become a bit too passionate. The two were very close, and 2104 had served with them in countless battles, sometimes in accompaniment of other Jedi who would become great heroes, like Fisto, Kcaj, and the legendary Mace Windu. Five months after meeting the two, Tone, and consequently 2104 were deployed on Nadiem with Luminara Unduli, Barriss Offee, and Commander Gree. His own Commander, CC-3366, had lead the evacuation of the citizens. As they were ushering the natives to shelter, 2104 noticed a starfighter across the valley. He had not seen _any_ droid fighters like that before, and reported this to Master Tone. 2104's description had lead Tone to deduce that Grievous was the owner, and thus he must be leading the Seperatist Forces.

While the main battle and Offee's trick had taken the Holo-News Headlines, what came after the battle was a real story. It just wasn't published by the Republic. Grievous had attempted to flee. Tone and Zephata'ru'tor had immediately departed to catch him, while he, CC-3366 and Luminara had stayed to help with the clean-up. Minutes later, Unduli had frozen, a look of pain on her face, and then leapt for a speeder bike. Having received no orders not to, 2104 had followed on his own. He caught up soon, and the two saw Grievous' starfighter lift into the air and disappear.

When they reached Master Tone, nothing could have prepared them for what they saw.

Master Tone was kneeling in the center of the clearing, his back to the two approaching beings, blood oozing from the stump that used to be his right arm. He was sitting a puddle of the stuff. Undili had fairly leapt off the still moving bike and run to his side. When she reached him, she did something the clone thought was impossible for a Jedi.

Unduli had looked into the Coway's lap, then into his face. Then, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, and wept.

She didn't cry.

She wept with an opening wail that would cause even the rocks to weep in time.

2104 had charged off his own bike to Tone's other side, medical-pack ready, but he had been stopped in his tracks by the wail of the Jedi.

He ran no longer, he walked slowly to his general's side. And he gasped at what he saw.

The entire left side of the Coway's face was….indescribable with one word.

The flesh was burned, more blister than tissue. His hair was black and curled, still sizzling. Tone's eye, was almost non-existent.

Grievous' abilities, he realized, were not exaggerated.

Unduli still wept, and tears were streaming from Tone's good eye. At first, he was repulsed. Were these two Jedi so vain that any wounds of this kind merited tears?

Shaking his head a bit, 2104 had opened the medical-pack and removed a booster of bacta, when he noticed something.

Where was Zephata'ru'tor?

He looked at Tone. Surely, he would know.

"General, where is Zephata'ru'tor?"

Tone did not answer. His good eye had simply drifted down to his lap.

2104 followed his gaze.

On the ground next to the Coway's knees, was the Master's own lightsaber, one side soaked in the pooling blood. In the Coway's hand, was another lightsaber.

Zephata'ru'tor's lightsaber.

Only then did 2104 notice the fine rain of ash floating down on them.

He had wept with the both of them.

The weeks that followed brought 2104, Unduli, and Tone to a medical frigate. The medical droid had reported that Tone was in perfect health, the blood could be easily be replaced via-transfusion, and the arm and face supplemented with prosthetics.

Tone, had seemed unresponsive until after the surgery. With a new set of digits, and a metallic visage, Tone had walked out of bed, but that was all that he did. The fire had gone out. Unduli and Offee had stayed for as long as possible, and Offee had implemented her healing arts on Tone many times, but nothing seemed to help. He just staggered around his room, eating occasionally, not talking, not watching holovision, nothing.

Eventually, the two Jedi were called away to new fronts, but 2104 and 3366 had stayed.

The pattern continued for another week.

Bored of watching his general wander like a zombie, 2104 had turned on the holovision just in time to catch the late news. It was all grim, with the republic beaten back on all fronts. Loss on Jabiim, disaster on Malastare, catastrophe on Dantooine. It was all bad. Then the news-caster had returned.

"Earlier today," the Twilek said, "the Senate received this message from the Seperatist Supreme Commander, General Grievous."

For the first time since Nadiem, 2104 saw the light rekindle in Tone's eyes.

The hologram on the news had changed, and now, the two were staring into the face-plate of General Grievous.

"Today,' he rasped, "marks the turning point in the war. Today, the Republic will realize that all resistance is futile. You are _doomed_!" Grievous had paused here to cough and hack. Out of the corner of his eye, 2104 saw Tone, tensing up, rage bubbling inside of him. "And to demonstrate the point, I bring a..._messenger_. I'm sure you _Jedi filth_ remember Kenaan Frey?"

Grievous reached off-view and had dragged in a half-dead looking Acronan, holding him by the head with one hand. Tone hissed from behind 2104, but he didn't turn to look. He was transfixed on the figures before him.

"Poor Master Frey was leading a strike team to offer aid on Christophsis, but our Admiral called him to my attention." Grievous had caressed the Jedi's head almost gently. "And now, he shall witness the cost of HEROISM!"

On the word 'heroism,' a lightsaber had ignited, and beheaded the Acronan with one stroke.

The body fell to the floor with a thud, audible even on the hologram.

Grievous glared at 2104 out of the hologram, as if he could see the clone. "Surrender now and you shall be spared. But please don't." He reached down to the corpse, still holding the Jedi's head in one hand, and liberated the lightsaber from the belt. He turned it from side to side, as if admiring the lustrous materials. "I still have a _collection_ to complete. Ah-ha-ha, AAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAA! "

The hologram dissolved, leaving the echoes of deranged laughter echoing in the room.

2104 turned off the projector before some politician could come on and use the event as ammunition for a campaign. He turned, and was shocked to see Tone's paper-hospital-shirt on the floor, and the Coway pulling on his pants.

"General, what are you doing?"

Tone had smiled darkly at 2104. "I'm ready to check out. And unless you have developed an affinity for hospital food, I sense you have no reason to stay."

And Master Tone was back on the front lines before the week was over.

One the eve of the second year of the war, Tone had been summoned by the Jedi Council back to the Galactic Capital. He was obliged to answer, and he brought 2104 along for company. He Left them on the landing platform; none but the Jedi were allowed inside the Temple.

When he returned, he had a youngling in tow. 2104 had inquired, and Tone had introduced him to Codi Ty, his new Padawan. Ty's eyes were dark, not at all like most Padawans. Most younglings were happy, and optimistic, uncorrupted by the world, but this one was very different. Ty had barely looked up as he passed the clone, and just walked into the shuttle. In transit to assist their troops back on Iktochi, 2104 had introduced himself to the youngling. He had always heard of 'the cold shoulder,' but this had to be the _sub-arctic_ shoulder. He had retreated back into the cockpit, and asked Master Tone what he knew of the youngling.

"The Council was very vague," he replied. "They said that his master was killed in battle, and if I wanted to know more, I would have to ask him."

Sometime later, when they had been in transit to yet another battlefront, their ship was attacked by a Seperatist cruiser, and they were boarded.

The droids had made short work of the vanguard, so Tone left 2104 and Ty in charge of the bridge, and charged off with 3366 to assist in the repulsing effort.

Five minutes later, the bridge was swarmed by commando droids. There had to be at least twenty. Most of the clones were dead before they could draw their weapons. Ty had leapt into action, and had decapitated three with one strike. As he moved on to dispatch more, 2104 had popped off the droids, one shot for each. Right in the head. Half of the droids were down after what seemed to be a few seconds. He turned, and saw a Ty impale a droid, and kick it off his blade. What Ty didn't see, was that a one-armed Commando droid was about to shoot him in the back of the head.

On instinct, 2104 lined up the shot and squeezed the trigger, despite the proximity, or lack thereof, between his target, and his friend. The droid was actually decapitated by the shot.

Ty whirled, looked at the dead droid, then back at 2104. His eyes flashed, and 2104 readied himself for a lecture, but lecture was not the goal. In what must have been a Force dash, Ty covered the distance that separated them in half-a-second, leapt, threw one leg over 2104's shoulder, spun, bringing his blade high over, and brought it down with a low hum. There was a sound of hot plasma splitting metal, metal chunks dropping, and a soft thump of bare feet hitting the floor. 2104 had turned to see the two halves of a Commando droid strewn on the floor behind him, vibro-blade still in its hand.

The two had hit off from there, "bonded by trauma," Ty always joked. And Ty was the one who had given him a name…

Bastion.

Which brought him back from his trip down memory-lane. He was marching behind Ty with his clone brothers, with Tano bringing up the rear. Because all clones were raised in the presence of people who looked exactly the same, they had learned to pick p on the most subtle of body language. Things like lingering glances, raising your hands, leaning forward, all were signs of emotion: love, placation, and intent respectively. He was picking up on several emotions right now.

Ty was glancing over his shoulder almost periodically. His brows were beetled, and his mouth in a tight line: anger. The recipient of these glares was the other Togruta at the end of the formation. She had a her brows raised in the middle, lowered on the outside, her jaw set, and her lips also drawn: confusion.

At least that was what _normal_ face readers would say.

As a clone, 2104 could pick up on the emotions behind the face. Tano was feeling strong love for Ty, but did not want to show it. No surprises there.

The _big_ surprise was that Ty was _reciprocating_. Real anger betrayed itself by a person maintain eye-contact when it occurred. Suppressed love was shown by refusing to make eye-contact. While Ty had all the traits of anger else-where, his eyes would break contact as soon as it occurred. So he _was_ in love with Tano, but was actively refusing to show it.

With all these emotions flying around, it made 2104 glad that emotions were not really a clone's specialty.

The thought was pushed to the front of his mind because the base camp was within view, and remembering the rocky relationship between a particular Padawan and his master, coupled with the emotions that had been set in motion during the raid, their return was going to be very interesting.

A fine mist descended on the troop as they entered the camp through one of the raised over the moat, lowered section in the wall areas. Masters Tone and Skywalker were waiting.

Ty was across first, but he said nothing verbally to either Jedi. He backed up against the rampart of mud and crossed his arms, not making eye-contact with anyone. To 2104, he fairly screamed: "I want to go to my tent, be away from _you_, and escape from Tano!"

The clones followed, and 2104 noticed most of them seemed fairly amused. They were probably picking up on the mood as well.

Tano was over last, still refusing to make eye-contact with Ty, and walking straight up to her master with the "protect me" look going on. Skywalker though, did not pick up the signals.

"So, how'd it go?" Skywalker inquired.

2104 knew that neither Tano nor Ty would want to answer, so he answered instead. "We were successful Generals. We have neutralized the outpost, with two casualties."

Tone extended an arm and placed it on his shoulder. "Well done Bastion. Thank you."

At this utterance, all clone eyes, and a few others, turned to look at Ty. A remark like this would usually get a furious response, but Ty said nothing. He just made certain that he had no eye-contact with anyone.

Ever body-language-clueless, the master Tone took the silence as a sign of submission from Ty. He beamed, and dismissed the troops with a nod. Then he turned and went to the hologram table. Skywalker and Tano moved off, but where was unclear. Skywalker was probably sensing the uneasiness of his Padawan, and was just moving her _away_. He could see strong paternal body-language from Skywalker. Ty had already disappeared.

2104 went to the practice area, and met up with 1119, 3366, 7567, and 0000/1010.

"What do you think?" 1119 asked.

"About the Jedi or the battle?"

"Both."

2104 removed his helmet with a sigh. "Well, with all I've seen, we'll be lucky if we survive."

_LOL, almost no story development, all character :P Anyhoo, too rambly? Not enough action? Review and let me know!_

_BTW, in any narration I write fronm the clone's POV, they refer to themselves as numbers. The numbers listed here:_

_CT-2104: Captain Bastion of the 957__th__ Nebula Corps. He's going to be a biggee. He's Codi's right-hand-clone in battle._

_CC-3366: Commander Pulsar of the 957__th__ Nebula Corps. Supporting character and close friend of B'dard Tone._

_CC-1119: Commander Appo of the 501__st__ Legion. Will eventually lead the raid on the Jedi Temple with Lord Vader, but for now is just a particularly morbid clone. Anakin tends to favor him more than Rex as the Clone Wars draw on._

_CT-7567: Captain Rex of the 501__st__ Legion. No-nonsense second-in-command. Ahsoka has grown on him and their many forays in the war has earned her his respect._

_CT-0000/1010: Sergeant Fox. He's quiet, but prefers to let his chain-gun do the talking for him. He aspires to be just like Appo._


	8. Chapter 8

_Greetings! New chapter in with some action! I want Sora to fulfill his mandate, but in a way that would look coincidental, so that's one reason I have not updated for a while. The other is multiple school projects, i.e Journalism, Broadcast Journalism, and ROTC. X-P The new Clone Wars was INSANE! Awesome! Just for a bit more clarification, this story also takes place before the new story arc. Anyhoo, get reading! I can't help but product place, but I also have an idea for my next story! It's called 24 Hours. Basically, it's the same 24 standard hours in the lives of (tentatively) nine senators on the Galactic Capital. It has great promise! _

The room was lit from below by a hologram that spanned the entire floor. The magnificent vaults of indigenous stone soared high above, and the places where there should have been walls, were instead windows of transparisteel, reinforced with Mygeetan crystals so that they could stand with no metal support. They were simply immense, transparent walls.

But Ruune Haako had not built them to observe the scenery.

The rolling hills and deep jungles outside Naantray's walls were not a particular favorite of Neimoidians. To them, all wild represented a new opportunity for profit, either in a resort or mining. Strip mining, to be precise.

Yes, the Senate had passed a bill some years ago to prevent strip mining, but with Lott Dodd and Senator Free Taa's help, a loophole had been found, and profits continued to pour in and increase. Through another loophole, Free Taa had been squeezed out of his share, and the Trade Federation's wealth was further augmented. The rotund twilek had been outraged, and threatened to take the matter to the Senate, but Gunray called the bluff because if his involvement was revealed, the blue ball of fat's chances for reelection would plummet.

This explained Senator Free Taa's extremely pro-military attitude.

The real irony was that by continuing the war, he was still helping the Trade Federation.

On any other day, this would have brought a smile to Ruune Haako's face, but today was the exception.

The magnificent drapes were drawn against the light from outside, and he was focused on the full hologram of the rift valley that housed the main highway to Naantray. He knew it was the only vulnerable part of his defenses, so he had placed a droid outpost there to make sure the passage was watched.

What troubled him was that the outpost had not been responding to his calls.

He picked up a dial pad and punched in a few numerals.

It rang for several minutes.

The head of a battle-droid materialized in a hologram before him.

"How may I help you sir?"

"Put me through to Sora Bulq," he ordered.

"One moment please."

There was silence for a few seconds.

The Weequay Dark Jedi soon entered the hologram. "Yes, my liege?"

Was he mistaken, or did he happen to see Sora's lip curl with the word 'liege?'

"The outpost on the end of the Rift Valley has not responded to my calls," Ruune said.

"Really?" The condescension in Sora's voice was almost palpable. "How strange, I received word just a few hours ago that they were taken care of."

It could now be determined that Ruune had been dropped as a grub. There wasn't even one neuron in the Neimoidian's brain that wondered whether he should take the Dark Jedi's word (or any Dark Jedi's words) on faith.

"Perhaps my communications array is damaged. I shall send some droids out to investigate."

Miles above in space, Sora hoped that the look of disbelief he bore would not show over the hologram. He had dealt with stupid people before, Nute Gunray for one, but this was ridiculous. "Very good. Now, I have business to attend to. Sora out."

XXX

Ahsoka sat on a log. The moss was soft, as was the wood itself. Everything about Koru Neimoidia seemed soft. The constant soft rain, the feathery branches of trees, the coo of pylat birds in the bushes, even the dirt at her feet was soft.

And soft brought an image back to her mind.

An image from yesterday.

Deep, clear blue irises, tinged with purple. Beautiful eyes. Codi's eyes….

NO! Her subconscious Jedi engrained brain screamed in protest. You aren't allowed to have attachment you fool! He doesn't want to know you! He hates the world! You remember how he treated you! Why are you thinking like this?

Because you feel that something. He's deeper than the hate. You just have to see past it.

Think of the consequences if you don't nip this in the bud! You'll fall in love, you two will meet secretly, it'll get complicated, someone will find out, and both of your lives as you know them will be over!

It was almost as if Barriss had hacked her neural interface.

And she knew that, as usual, Barriss was right.

But she didn't want to hear Barriss. She didn't want to hear anything. She prayed to some higher power that something would interrupt her musings.

"Ahsoka!"

Thank the Force for Anakin. She opened her eyes to watch her master approach.

"Is something up, Master?" Ahsoka inquired, standing and dusting off her leggings.

"Yes," he answered. "We're breaking camp. Master Tone wants us to be out of here in a standard hour."

The news couldn't have been better. Something to help keep her mind off him.

Because Jedi travel light, and Ahsoka was packed and ready in five minutes, and set about helping the clones tear down the tents and pack gear.

Fox was helping Appo organize the weapons, making sure that the chain-guns were accounted for. Rex and Tone's clone commander, Pulsar, were packing the gear into a UT-AT. She and the clone captain, Bastion, were gathering up tents.

The canvas was very dense, and very heavy. She and Bastion were folding the things rather efficiently, and were about to finish folding the last one, when another clone called for him.

He looked back at her, seemingly for permission. "Go," she said. "I can handle this."

"Are you sure? These things are pretty unwieldy…"

Ahsoka was touched by his concern. "I've got it. Don't worry."

Making the final fold and handing it off to her, Bastion hurried off, kilt flapping in his wake.

As soon as he had let go, the full weight of the canvas was on her, and she realized just how heavy the sheets of fabric were.

She stifled a grunt as Bastion left and began to stagger towards the AT-TE. It was quite an arduous journey. The water-proofing agents in the fabric made the sheets very slippery, and the mud generated by the sudden surge of foot traffic was not helping. She was within as few feet of the open AT-TE, salvation within her grasp, when she felt the fabric begin a voyage of no return. She tried to brace herself and catch it, but the mud refused to support her and slipped out of the way. Time moved in slow motion as she realized that she was about to face-plant in the mud. She could only imagine the jeers and humiliation it would bring. The absolute horror of it all.

Then it stopped. The sensation of falling was replaced by one of support.

Either she had found a new muscle, or someone was holding it up with her. She suspected the latter.

"Thank you," she sighed, peering around the wall of fabric, expecting to see a clone.

"You're welcome," was the warm reply, but the voice was not a clone's.

Her head rounded the corner just as her assistant's did.

It was not a clone.

It was Codi.

She felt she might die of shock. She felt as if ninety percent of her blood had suddenly left her body and gone into her face.

He appeared equally as stunned, obviously also expecting a clone. His mouth hung open, mouth completely dry.

Then his expression soured. His brows knotted and his eyes grew dark and stormy.

As usual.

"You should be more careful, Tano."

There was that sneer again. Ooh, it made her blood boil! The blush on her face was one of anger now.

"I'm sooo sorry to inconvenience you," she spat.

"You should be thanking me," he snarled. "If not for me, you would be burbling in the muck by now."

"Maybe I would have preferred that to having some stuck up self-centered git help me."

"Shall I aid you in that endeavor?"

"If you want it to be the last thing you ever do!"

"It's shameless the way you two flirt."

Both Togruta's hearts froze in their chests, and all color fell from their faces. They turned their heads slowly, almost horrified at what might be seen.

Somehow, Ahsoka knew that Rex was smirking beneath his helmet.

Codi was spluttering like a broken pipe, trying to make a coherent sentence. "How dare…you impertinent…I should…you're going…!"

This, if anything, seemed to amuse the clone more. He readjusted his pack and continued on his way towards another AT-TE, leaving Codi sputtering for a few seconds more, before he decided to shut up.

The two carried their tent to their AT-TE without incident because of Rex's comment. The seed of doubt had been planted in their minds, and they did not want to risk more comments from the clones. As soon as Codi had put down the canvas, he was away, and he did not look back.

It was partially insulting, but more relieving to be rid of his presence, Ahsoka thought. He was intoxicating. More and more she found her mind wandering back to his face, the clear, blue eyes she had once seen, the smile, the NO! _No, I will _not _start thinking that again. There is work to do._

She started back into camp and saw her master and Master Tone bent over a hologram. She could not see what it was, but the two looked rather jovial about it. Seeing her master jovial usually gave Ahsoka the shivers because his sense of humor was rather sadistic.

Shrugging it off (and hoping for the best) Ahsoka moved on to find where she could be helpful.

"General!"

Fox's voice came from behind her, and she turned to see what he wanted. He trotted up to her side and dipped his head in greeting. "Sir, Masters Tone and Skywalker have requested your presence at the lead UT-AT," he said, gesturing over his shoulder.

Ahsoka nodded in thanks and moved in the direction Fox had pointed. When she arrived, she saw Codi was standing next to his master, not looking very pleased. She was not exactly thrilled to see him again in such a short span either.

Anakin beamed when Ahsoka arrived at his side. "Ahsoka, we have had a change in plans."

"Oh?" This didn't sound good.

"Our clone intelligence has detected a small platoon of droids in the valley," Master Tone said. "Seeing as how well you dealt with the outpost, I have deemed you to lead a preemptive strike against the droids with…"

_Please don't say it, please don't say it, please don't say it…_

"With Codi."

_He said it._

"Masters," she said, hoping her voice would not betray her anger "I think that I am more than qualified to lead this mission myself…"

"But the two of you work very well as a team," Anakin interrupted. He moved in closer and whispered into the section of her lekku that served as an ear. "and a lesson in humility would do you both good."

Ahsoka bristled, but swallowed her anger. "Very well Masters. When do we leave?"

Master Tone grinned rather evilly. "Right now."

Several minutes later, Ahsoka found herself walking alongside an AT-RT driven by Rex and the AT-TE allowed to them. Codi was father ahead. They had established a "if you don't talk to me, I won't talk to you" agreement soon after they had left. Their actions had, if anything, boosted the clone's morale, and they were almost skipping down the path. They were crossing a stone bridge that spanned a wide chasm. The droids were going to be on the other side. S

_This whole thing is getting out of hand_,she said herself. It waqs one thing to have a crush. Aayla Secura herself had had one for the esteemed Master Fisto, but theirs had broken off long ago, and it hadn't started like this. Or had it? All Aayla had said about it on Maridun was that he had "breathed for me." Then she got a misty look and Ahsoka had deemed the time to leave was then, before Aayla got into any "big girl" talk.

But this was completely different than that. This was completely different from anything she had felt before. She wanted it, she wanted to embrace it, to make it real. But then again, she hated herself for it. He wanted it to end, to stop the conflict, and be herself again. But she knew that it would not happen. This feeling, this conflict was beyond her control now. And it would not stop until, as Barriss put it, "completes itself." But what was completion?

"General, the droid's position is up ahead."

As usual, the clones came to rescue her from her musings.

She nodded and gestured for the clones to spread out. The AT-TE would take point, and blow up the droids with one shot. If any escaped, the clones would pick them off.

A thick tree-line separated the clones from the droids. She could hear them through the trees, but said foliage kept her from sensing them with her montrals.

Then, she found herself looking at Codi. It was as if her head had a will of its own, defying her brain's orders to look ahead at the droids. There he was, poised like an akul, ready to spring for the kill, jaw muscles tight and anxious. It seemed as if he might explode with so much tension.

He gestured for the AT-TE to move in. Slowly, it extended its barrel through the wall of foliage. Ahsoka was able to bring her thoughts away from the Togruta across the AT-TE from her to look at the barrel. She could imagine the shock of the droids as the barrel made itself known by letting off a single and devastating shot. She waited for the trigger to be squeezed and the plasma bolt to soar through the air and explode, but no sound came. It seemed like ages, and no sound came.

Then a clone popped up from the hatch on top. "Sir, there aren't any droids!"

"WHAT?" the phrase was recited in unison by the troopers.

Ahsoka drew her lightsaber, ignited it, and sliced through the screen of plants.

No droids. Not even a gear.

What was…

_**KA-BOOOOM!**_

The forest shook. Limbs, leaves, and whole trees fell to the ground. Pylat birds took wing, squawking in alarm. Rodents scurried from their dens and fled. The clones and two Jedi were knocked off their feet. The smell of burned tibanna and stone dust filled the air. The sonic repercussions screamed in Ahsoka's montrals. She screamed in agony, falling to the ground and writhing in pain as the tissues in her montrals shook, but none could hear her as the roar went on. Codi was on his knees in a similar condition, not screaming, but snarling like a feral animal. The clones were on their feet immediately and battling against the maelstrom, weapons shouldered. But the dust was too thick, and all they could do was wait and listen to the moaning of the Jedi Padawans on the ground. By the time the two had recovered, the dust had settled, and the damage could be seen.

The bridge they had just crossed, was no more. Completely obliterated.

Silence followed. No one spoke.

Codi's com-link rang. He brought it to his mouth and pressed the reccieve button.

A hologram of B'dard Tone resolved. "Padawan, status!"

"None injured," Codi said. "But there were no droids, and the bridge is out."

"The bridge?" Master Tone looked shocked. "But the bridge was secured weeks ago, it is the fastest way to Naantray!"

"Is there another way?" Codi inquired.

"Around the high hills through the path in the Jungle."

"Can we rendezvous with you?"

"No," Tone said. "You are on a plateau, and the bridge was the only way onto it."

Codi sighed. "What do you suggest we do Master?"

B'dard placed a cybernetic hand to his chin. After a while, he said "Go ahead of us and get to Naantray. We have nineteen days, so my forces should get there on time, but yours will get there first. See if you can procure a good position and usable intel."

Codi nodded. It was the first time that he had not argued with his master for a very long time. "Yes, sir, Codi out."

And then it dawned on Ahsoka. She would be alone, with _him_ for nineteen days. No master to retreat to, no tent across camp to hide in.

She was, in effect, trapped with him.

And his expression showed that he knew it too.

XXX

"My Lord," Sora Bulq said, kneeling before the hologram of Count Dooku. "The younglings have been separated from their masters, as you requested."

Dooku smiled. "Excellent my apprentice. See to it that they be given enough combat to keep this from looking too well planned, but little enough to give them time to think."

"Very good, my lord."

_OoooOooooh! The wheels are set in motion. Sorry that this took so long to be uploaded, but developing characters and lacing in plot and keeping up with school is very hard. Liked it? Plz review!_


	9. Chapter 9

_Hey y'all, I got an anonymous review that was simply one word, and I quote: "UPDATE." I am all too happy to oblige. This story is terribly difficult to write. I have to keep readjusting my story to match the new "The Clone Wars" episodes. Those b******* are changing established canon! :O Anyhoo, enjoy the ride._

The air was humid and still. Dark clouds loomed on the horizon, and the low rumble of thunder was palpable.

B'dard Tone looked out over the Rift Valley. The trees were so thick that he could not see the plateau that his Padawan was on.

Oddly enough, he felt relieved to be rid of his headstrong student.

Codi was the complete antithesis of Zeph. Zeph had been quiet, subdued, always respectful, and had carried an air of mystery always. Codi was ever impudent; his techniques were loud and lacked all measures of subtlety.

He had not asked for his new Padawan. The Council had not bothered to ask him if he was ready to take a new apprentice. However private it might have been, he was still grieving Zeph at the time Codi had been given to him. He remembered the conversation well.

He had entered the Council chambers and inclined his head to greet these prestigious Masters.

"I sense you feel loss over your Padawan," the Iktochi Saesee Tiin had said.

"That is true Masters," he had replied. "Zephata'ru'tor was unique."

"Unfortunate, his death was, but more and more Jedi die from this war."

"The Seperatists continue to find more and more Jedi hunters," Master Kenobi agreed. "Not long ago, Master Hundras was slain by Durge."

"And Lissarkh by Ventress," Master Koon added.

"But the Council finds itself with many Master-less Padawans," Mace finished.

B'dard had shifted. He did not like where this conversation was going.

"So the Council has seen fit to give you a new Padawan," Mace said.

"With all due respect," Bdard had said. "Padawans are not things that can be given out like second hand clothes. And I do not feel ready to take a new Padawan."

"We are sorry that you feel this way," Master Mundi apologized. "But we have no other choice. Your new apprentice is waiting for you in The Room of One-Thousand Fountains."

B'dard had opened his mouth to object, but a stern look from Master Windu had served to replace his rebuttal with a word of thanks, and he had left the chambers.

So here he was, standing on the low rise of the Rift Valley, overlooking the plateau that concealed his Padawan while the AT-TEs and UT-ATs thundered and crawled behind him.

He sensed Skywalker before the Knight spoke. "Padawan problems?"

B'dard nodded. "I'm at a loss for what to do with him." He turned his head to look at Anakin. "He never listens, and never treats me with respect."

"Arrogant?"

"No, not arrogant, just angry."

"What do you call him?"

"Huh?"

"I mean it. What do you call him?"

B'dard had never given that much thought. "Usually Codi. His first name."

Anakin nodded. "So _you_ don't respect him."

"I most certainly do!" B'dard said, a little louder than he normally talked.

Anakin shook his head. "When I was a Padawan, I was called such by Master Kenobi and I always called him Master. He never called me Anakin until much later."

"Your point, Skywalker?"

"First names come with familiarity, and titles like Padawan or Master come with respect. If you immediately go to a first name, it implies familiarity that he does not reciprocate, and he can take it as disrespect."

"But my master only used Padawan in reprimand."

Anakin crossed his arms. "But your master _chose_ you. He wanted to train you, to be a mentor. I don't think that was how you and Codi came together, am I right?"

B'dard's silence was the answer Anakin needed. "Try to call him Padawan a few times. You'll see."

Anakin departed without another word.

B'dard stood, confronted by this wisdom, for several moments.

Then he turned and followed the convoy through the jungle.

XXX

Ahsoka sliced through a plant with her shoto. It hissed first, sap bubbling, then the crown of leafs tumbled to the ground with a soft thump.

She looked out over the clearing. There were no signs of droids, no gears, no grease, no recharger stations. The clearing was not natural, but not droid-made to be sure.

An electric wind swept through the area. Thunder rumbled in the distance. In her montrals she felt a wall of rain approaching. She turned to face her clones. "We make camp here."

There was a general consensus of relieved groans as the clones filed past her and into the clearing. Ahsoka chose a particularly interesting leaf to look at a Codi passed. He stared intensely forward.

The clones immediately went about unpacking the supplies from the AT-RT. Said supplies were meager, but would suffice. Rex came to her side. "General, should we not find a more suitable place?"

Ahsoka looked back with a smile. "What could be more ideal? The droids can't operate in the rain, or at least not well, and there's a monsoon coming."

The clone looked up at the darkening sky. "I'll admit, it does look ominous…"

"Precisely. So while you set up camp, I'll take on first watch."

Ahsoka could read his mind. Clones were particularly easy to read. _I'm taking orders from a sixteen year old horn-head. This was not in my training. _But he didn't mean it. She could tell by the peaceful blue that surrounded him in the Force.

Blue. Like Codi's-

_STOP THAT!_ Barriss had hacked her neurons again. Thank the Force for that.

As several clones set up a tent, Codi crossed to them and said something. Ahsoka strained with the Force to hear what was said, but the conversation was over. Codi was walking away.

Heck, he was walking to the edge of the clearing.

"Codi!"

As she crossed the clearing, he turned to face her, however grudging it looked.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Out for supplies."

He turned to leave again, but she snatched a hold on his arm. "We have all of the supplies we need."

The implied message was: "Get back into the convoy!"

Codi, though, seemed deaf to the concept. Beneath her hand, she felt his arm tense, like he was trying not to smack her. Granted, she felt like she was being an ass, but he deserved it. "If you want to set up a small colony of tents which provide no visibility from the inside and let the Seperatists sneak up on and slaughter us with a single mortar shot, then yes, we do have the supplies. I, however, have something slightly different in mind."

As much as she hated to admit it, Codi was right. But she was now more curious than angry. "What do you mean?"

"Let me go, and I will show you."

_Oh, well. You win this one. _She released his arm, maybe a bit grudgingly, and watched him disappear into the forest.

Black.

That was when she noticed that his robes were a dark, dark brown, almost ebony. Unorthodoxy was becoming more prevalent it seemed.

Somewhere in the jungle, she heard the _snap-hiss_ of a lightsaber, and saw its blue glow reflect in the trees. There was a loud crackle, and the sound of falling timber. A few more crackling sounds followed, and then the glow ceased. Behind her, she saw the clones hard at work digging small, but deep, holes. What was the plan?

Codi emerged from the woods, telekinetically carrying nine trunks of a segmented plant. . _(Author's note: Think bamboo!)_His brows were furiously knotted in concentration, and a few beads of sweat dripped onto his red skin. It was surprising that he was able to do it at all. To control nine free-floating objects was no easy feat. Sure, seeing Master Yoda lift an AT-TE at the Temple during training was impressive, but that was just one object. Controlling multiple objects in levitation at once was a gift limited to the most gifted of Jedi Consulars. She just hoped a strong breeze would not come and make the task impossible.

Or even worse. Out of the blue, a neeloflight descended from the trees and landed on one of the larger segments. The branches began to shake as Codi tried to hold them up and keep the branch with the neekoflight balanced. The Force trembled as he doubled his efforts to no avail. The branches began to shake and tremble. Some began to splinter at the edges.

Calling on the Force, Ahsoka seized four of the braches, and used a fifth to club the offending neekoflight. It squawked angrily and flew away, leaving a few feathers behind.

Codi looked at her, seeming slightly stunned. Then a small smile of thanks fluttered across his features. Well, smile is too strong a word. More like, the muscles at the ends of his lips twitched, and his brow unknotted slightly.

But it was enough to make her stomach flutter.

That momentary distraction left the branches trembling in mid-air, but the sharp clacking sound that two made when they collided brought her back to reality. She steadied her grip on the poles and followed Codi back into camp. He began to plant the poles into the holes that the clones had been digging. He put the largest pole in the center. She moved around the perimeter placing the poles.

Bastion gave a few cryptic gestures to the clones and they scurried off to the mounds of tent canvas. Hooking the ends onto the tops of the poles.

The comprehension dawned on Ahsoka like a bucket of ice-water. "Oh," she exclaimed. "It's just a very BIG tent! The sides will be open for ventilation and easy sentry duty!"

Codi rolled his eyes. "Took long enough for you to riddle it out."

Scowling, she decided that Codi had been born with the gift to sour any conversation with one sentence. It must come in real handy when a Senator tries to talk to you. Besides, who understands Senators anyway?

After sinking the post rather viciously, she used the Force to aid a few clones to raise the last of the canvas not a moment too soon. The rain arrived like a celestial dam had exploded, and in a few moments, the area outside the covered ground was soaked.

A cold wind swept through the area like an intangible glacier. A roll of thunder echoed through the jungle.

Bastion strode to Ahsoka's side. "How long do you think it'll last?"

Codi grimaced. "From the feel of things, I'd guess sometime tomorrow morning. I can feel the rain going for miles."

"Rex," Ahsoka barked. "Get a fire going. If need be, get more wood out of the jungle before it gets too wet."

"Yessir!" Rex trotted off towards the other clones.

Bastion stepped forward. "I'll take the next watch sir."

Ahsoka nodded and moved into the middle of the shelter where the pile of wood was being constructed.

Codi had been right. This type of shelter was much better than the colony of tents that she had planned. The communal fire provided warmth. Looking over her shoulder, she saw Codi still standing near the edge of the shelter. His dark cloak split down the middle by a darkly striped lekku. It was beautiful. The initial flickers of the fire threw the folds of his robe into sharp relief. She looked at the back of his head, and a sudden, unexpected emotion hit her: envy. His montrals were larger than hers, even though they were about the same age. Maybe it was a male thing. It made him look powerful, perhaps demonic, but fierce and wild.

She noticed herself staring and quickly averted her gaze with a realization.

Sooner or later, she realized, she would have to confront her feelings for him.

But just how soon or late would it be?

_I must apologize for taking so long to update. I can guarantee that I will finish this story, and furthermore, I might even illustrate it. Thanks for waiting patiently and not cramming the reviews page with hate mail, which I would do myself if I were following this story. Please review, I enjoy feedback!_


	10. Chapter 10

_Hey guys. So, I had originally planned this scene some time ago, but I have only now found a place to put it. I also have bought the Star Wars: General Grievous comic book and I'm using it for reference art and character reference. And by the way, screw my previous note on chronology. This is non canonical, so timing doesn't matter. _

Ahsoka awoke in the midst of the night. The rain pattered softly on the roof of the "tent" that Codi had set up, and the puddles around the border rippled as the drops fell. The deluge had subsided to a soft rain several hours before.

The Togruta youngling raised herself onto one arm. She heard something.

It sounded like…drums.

And chanting!

Rising to her feet, Ahsoka called her lightsabers to her hands and stepped around the AT-TE.

And was amazed by what she saw.

The clones, in various states of dress (or, in most cases, undress), were dancing around the fire. They were in a low stance, with their legs bent at the knees like they were riding something. They would take one or two steps sideways, then beat their chests and grunt something in Mando'a, and move again. The light of the campfire silhouetted those closest to her, and lit those on the far-side with a soft orange radiance. The smoke-stained lights curling around their bodies as they moved added to the altogether primal feeling. The "drum" (actually an empty fuel can) beats echoed in her montrals. She felt it calling her, almost keeping her alive like a second heart, the heart that beats wild for the animalistic pleasures of the body. Almost against her will, her legs moved her to join the circle. Her hands placed the lightsabers on her belt. She began to fumble with the clasp of her robe. Her eyes closed as she advanced to join the circle. It was her right as a huntress, as a Togruta, to join the dance. It was a right denied by the Jedi, but there were no Jedi around to scold her.

Suddenly the drumbeats stopped. Like a startled ronto, the feeling of raw energy left her. If felt like falling into glacial water.

She opened her eyes to see all of the clones scrambling for their under-armors, the drum being stashed, and an altogether mood of embarrassment.

Rex was already dressed in his jumpsuit. "Commander, we were…ah, that is…just for a moment….we, ah…."

"We were performing a traditional Mandalorian dance," Bastion finished, dressed only in the leg armor. His bare chest glistened with sweat.

Ahsoka cocked an eyeridge. Now that the primal fervor had worn off, she was left slapping herself mentally for wanting to join, and angry at the clones for doing what seemed like a total waste of time and energy.

Fox, the only one in full armor, hung his head and scuffed a boot. "It's traditional for a Manda'lore warrior to dance before battle. It brings favor from the gods."

"If the gods like dancing, then we need to hide from the immanent fire and brimstone," said a voice from beyond the firelight.

Turning, the clones and Ahsoka saw Codi, leaning on the leg of the AT-RT, half enveloped in the shadows, the fire illuminating one side of his form.

He was smiling. He was actually smiling a close-lipped smile.

It was dazzling.

"If the gods favor those who dance," he continued, "then they may well just kill us all."

"And why is that sir?" asked a clone sergeant.

"Because your dance sucks."

Ouch!

Rex puffed out his chest. "It is traditional. We always do this before a large battle."

"Well I don't know what you've heard, but Mandalorians are not known for their footwork." Codi smiled. "And I can see why."

Bastion crossed his arms over his chest. "Well, I suppose you know all about dancing, don't you, Master Jedi?"

"I do," Codi replied. "Dancing is integral to Togrutan culture. I was taught several dances by Master Ti."

Ahsoka blinked in mild surprise. He was trained by Shaak Ti as well? Small galaxy. And he was right. Togruta always danced, for any given occasion, but their dances were usually done outside the presence of non-Togrutas.

"Oh, so I guess horn-heads dance better than Mandalorians?" Rex sneered.

"As a matter of fact, we do." The racial slur seemed to ricochette off Codi like an insect on a windshield.

"Show me."

This caused Codi to blink. "What?"

Rex smiled and placed his hands on his hips. "I said show me. _Prove _that Togruta dance better than Mandalores."

"No thanks," Codi sighed. "I'd rather save my energy for use in combat, not in some measuring contest." He rolled off the AT-RT's leg and began to leave.

"He's probably just scared," the sergeant whispered.

Codi froze in his steps. "What?"

Rex seized to opportunity to use the young Togruta's pride against him. "Yes. You're like most Senators: you talk a good campaign, but then you can't deliver."

Codi turned, deathly slow. "I am _nothing_ like a politician."

"Prove it then," Bastion chuckled. "Deliver your 'campaign' promise!"

Codi bared his teeth in a feral snarl. "Fine. Let me show you how it's done." He removed his outer robe, leaving him in his tunic and trousers. Ahsoka noticed that his tunic sleeves had been removed, and he wore only the crossing bands of fabric. Also, she noticed three bangles on his left arm. They flashed in the firelight, and jingled softly as he moved. He glanced at the clone with the fuel can. "Set me up with a beat trooper. Moderate tempo."

The clone obliged with a soft beat, with a bit of rhythm thrown in for spice.

He stood for a moment, as if acclimating himself to the sound.

Then he was one with the music in a storm of movements. He and the music were inseparable, they were one. Heck, it looked like the music was more in control of his body than he was.

It was almost hypnotic. The music, the movement. You could barely take your eyes off it. The way he moved was fluid, like water cascading over rocks. She had never seen anything like it. Just watching it made the chills run up and down her spine. She wanted it to never end, to just go on, and on, and on. But all too soon, Codi stopped, and so did the music.

Dead silence fell over the camp. The clones were floored.

"Big deal!"

Well…most of the clones anyway.

Rex wore an indignant countenance. "So you can dance. Big whoop! I could dance that well by myself if I wanted to! What _we_ were doing was a group dance, and the gods favor camaraderie over individuality!"

In all likelihood, Rex was making it up. However, the pride, anger, and the rush from the dance were still coursing through Codi's veins. His brow beetled and a demonic snarl etched themselves in his features. "_Fine_. Tano, would you come here for a moment?"

Ahsoka gulped, but her feet obediently shuffled to where Codi was standing. "Yes?"

"Dance with me."

If there was ever a person who felt as if they had been shot by five ion cannons at once from point-blank range, Ahsoka was the one. The clones looked more surprised than she did. Bastion's jaw was dragging the leaf-litter. Aside from the crackle of the fire, silence once again took a stranglehold on the camp. No one knew what to do next.

"Ahm…"

Possibilities went through Ahsoka's mind like mag-levs in a Coruscanti station. _No; hell no; I have weak ankles, I hate you, so no; You're jerk! Why would that even come into your mind?_

"Yes."

D'OH! _WHY DID I JUST SAY THAT!_

Codi nodded. Perhaps you could call it "happily," but that was a matter of debate. "Come here then."

Ahsoka's traitorous feet dragged her forward. Her mind tried valiantly to stop her, but she didn't. It felt as if a mynock was in the youngling's stomach, fluttering and gnawing. She didn't want to. She was having a hard time enough controlling the feelings that she had for this male. How was she supposed to do this when she was _dancing_ with him? Even the firelight was working against her will: the flames had gone from yellow to a dull orange, bathing the scene in a soft light. Then she felt something. It was a hand, clutching hers. The hand was rough, but not as painfully so as a metal-worker. It was warm, and the touch was soft, yet firm. She didn't even have to look to know whose hand it was.

"You look nervous," Codi said.

Another gulp from Ahsoka. "Considering who's holding my hand."

A smile broke across his features. "Don't worry; it's only going to be a few minutes."

He twirled her into his arms, so that her back was on his chest, his arms wrapped around her like a cocoon.

Ahsoka blushed like no being ever had before or since. She immediately tensed, trying to keep herself from surrendering to the feelings that were suddenly churning even more.

"Your heart is pounding," Codi said.

His breath washed over Ahsoka like a form of vaporized glitteryll. Her eyes partly closed as the scent invaded her mind. "Well, I never thought you could bring yourself to touch me."

"Life is full of surprises, isn't it?"

"But I have to wonder what kind of surprise _this _is going to be.

The final nail in the coffin came moments later. Codi whispered softly into her ear: "Trust me."

And with a sigh, Ahsoka's mind surrendered to her body, and she and Codi began to dance. The world fell away as they began to move. The fire's glow, the drums, and Codi were all that she saw. The persistent voice of her Jedi training was soon silenced as she moved herself and Codi.

At first, he whispered things to her: "One step, left, right, spin, to the back, good."

She stumbled once. Before she could apologize, Codi set her up for the next step with a whisper of: "It's fine, just keep going."

"You know, you could've done something else," she whispered.

She saw a puzzled look come over Codi's face.

"I mean, you could have taught them the Akul Circle or… a tribal dance."

He spun her to arms length. "I could have."

"So why did you choose this?"

He paused as he continued to move. "I…really don't know. It just…came to me."

Ahsoka gave him a look of disbelief.

"No, seriously! Do you remember Master Ti's lessons? She said: 'Do nothing that the heart does not will.'"

"Yeah…"

"Well… my heart didn't will the Akul Circle."

He brought her close to himself. "It willed you."

"Are you sure it wasn't _pride_?"

"Certain."

"How about hormones?"

He laughed softly. "Absolutely sure it wasn't."

"Then I guess the Force wills it."

Perhaps he hadn't meant for her to hear, but she heard a soft whisper of "I hope so."

And they were one. Their movements were perfectly unified. Their steps were perfectly aligned, each spin a perfect 360. It seemed almost choreographed. He no longer spoke steps to her, and she didn't need them. She was alive with the dance, alive with _him_. They let their movements become more passionate: she pushed herself into his chest on the back spins, let him lift her off the ground. He held her securely through all of the dips, and his arms lifted her several times during the dance.

All in all, it was the most magical moment of their lives.

The clones around them began to dance as well, forming a circle around the pair of Togruta. They whooped and hollered. The Mandalorian in the awoke again, and the warriors sprang to life. Rex put in a few good wolf-whistles, but the Togruta didn't care. They were so engrossed with themselves that they didn't even notice the formation.

The camp was alive with dance. The forest shook from their noise, but the Force sang from their joy. Neekoflights screeched with the music, lizard-like things chirped happily. Any darkness in the area was purged like poison drawn from a wound. The dawn sun slowly rose over the horizon, staining the once dark sky with gray, purple, and red.

Then Codi and Ahsoka found themselves in each other's faces. All the storms had left Codi's eyes, and he gazed deeply into hers. He smelled her scent; he took her in as much as he could. Their faces inched closer together, reaching for the forbidden taste of the other's lips. They were so close, millimeters between them. All caution had been forsaken, all rules, all Jedi codes were lost in the moment. This blissful moment. All that was needed to complete this moment was seconds away-

"BLAST 'EM!"

The cry of a battle droid was followed by a rain of blaster-fire.

The moment shattered into thousands of pieces as the clones dove for their weapons, several falling to the red plasma that flew past.

Codi left Ahsoka immediately, calling his lightsaber to his hand as he did. She staggered, nearly falling.

It was as if the moment never existed.

All the same, her lightsabers flew to her hand and she impaled a battle-droid on her blads as she charged forward.

XXXXX

Yoda opened his eyes.

The oppressive sunlight was kept from the room by the blinds across the window. He was in the meditation room.

Kit Fisto looked up, his lidless black eyes ever open. "Master?"

Yoda shook his head. "Much emotion I sense from Skywalker's Padawan. Strong with the Force, she is."

Kit nodded. "I sense it too. She is becoming attached to the male."

"Hmmm…. A punishment, this assignment first was. A Trial, young Ahsoka faces. Whether she passes will be unknown to us."

_Yes, I know I take forever to update. Sorry, but my life is pretty full nowadays. So please, have patience with me. Anyhoo, what'd you think? Mushy? Sweet enough to put a bee into a sugar coma? Don't worry, these next few chapters will be mainly exposition. I revamped Chapter 3 if you want to check it out. Also, I have an account on DeviantArt, so if I do anything cool, I'll post it there for y'all to see. Here's my first illustration: _.com/


	11. Chapter 11

_Hey guys! So, my plan is to update every Saturday. I have done this for two reasons: to satisfy you readers, and to keep this story from dying half-way through, and just when things get interesting. I got inspired after a 3-day Star Wars: Battlefront II spree with my friends, and I got an idea after watching an old Disney favorite of mine. The Disney thing won't come until later, but I plan to have a bit more emphasis on the other duo in this story who have been stranded together: Anakin and B'dard. I know this whole story is starting to seem really helter-skelter, but trust me, it all will tie together in the end. Enjoy!_

CT-07/6734 idly thumbed his blaster. He may have looked bored, but he was nervous. He and CT-99/4111 were sitting in the dead middle of a clearing, thick trees on all sides, and flanked by two hills.

Ordinarily, he would have felt at ease in this situation because birds were singing. On Kamino, his trainer, a tall and particularly emaciated-looking Kaminoan by the name of Ooma Le, had always told him to watch the wildlife because "they will see, hear, or smell the enemy long before you do." That was true in the case of almost any warfare, except this one.

Droids don't trigger the responses in living things that other living things would for several reasons: one, a well built droid is almost soundless, and completely scentless. 07 had heard of the "Chameleon" droids used to attack Ilum that could completely disappear. Two, droids don't give off any electric signals from their body. They are completely insulated. Third: they just aren't alive. Even a brain-dead Vulptreen could tell you that.

So, that fact that the birds were singing like a choir, it was no guarantee that the two clones were not alone.

99 heaved a sigh and shifted his weight. "Well, this is going well. If we don't get sniped, then we'll die of boredom."

07 grunted in response. "After sitting here for three hours, I think that death would be a relief."

"And all this mud is clogging up Daisy Duke!"

There was a pause. "Come again?"

99 shrugged. "Well, since I've been with her so long, I thought it was fitting to give her a name."

07 blinked. "You mean your _gun_?"

"Yep," he said. "Good ol' Daisy has seen many a battle, and killed twice as many droids."

"And how many droids would that be?"

"Oh, somewhere around eighty."

"That's pathetic. I killed that many on Christophsis!"

"Well, that's only the ones that _she's _killed! I got at least twenty more with a thermal detonator!"

07 snorted. "That's pathetic! On Teth I saw a bunch of droids Geonosian-transport-ing out of a doorway, so I threw in a TD and guess what? No more droids!"

"You know, 07, that Geonosian transport implies lots of units crammed into a small space, right?"

"…yes…"

"And I know that there couldn't have been that many droids stashed inside that monastery so-"

"SSHHH!"

"Aw, c'mon, just because you think you'll lose in a kill count, you pull rank on me?"

"No, idiot, listen!"

And then 99 heard it. The softest whisper of a gear turning.

His hand flew to his helmet and adjusted the settings. With a magneto-track, he could see three shapes moving stealthily amongst the trees on the valley wall.

Commando droids.

"Do you think we should run?" he whispered to 07.

The latter didn't even give a response, but took to his heels and ran so fast that his helmet might have come off. 99 was soon to follow. That day the two clones ran faster than they ever believed possible.

XXXXX

Anakin Skywalker leaned over a hologram of the valley. True, his plan had been disrupted by the destruction of the bridge, but Anakin was known for his ability to compensate for rapid changes in situation, and this was no exception.

He had planned to stage the attack on the widest part of the plateau, but since he was cut off from there, he had moved the staging area to a wide clearing to the south. It was probably a long disused quarry of some kind, but that was besides the point.

But something was off. He could feel it, but he could not see it.

"I wish Ahsoka were here," he grumbled to himself. "She usually has an eye for this kind of detail."

But Ahsoka was trapped on the plateau with that impudent speck, Codi Ty. He wondered if the two would eventually come to blows after the behavior that the latter had shown; knowing Ahsoka, that was not unlikely.

His musings were interrupted by an approaching B'dard. "What are you worried about Skywalker?"

"Beg pardon, Master?"

"Don't play coy with me. I can sense the anxiety. So, I ask again: What are you worried about?"

Anakin sighed. "It's Ahsoka."

"Padawan problems? At least we have that in common."

Anakin shrugged. "It's not 'problems,' really. I have a very good relationship with my student. It's just…oh, I don't know, I feel…insufficient."

B'dard blinked. "Insufficient? You're the only one I know who can take out twenty battle-droids in as many seconds."

"No, not that way. Ahsoka is progressing through the combat arts like she had been raised on them. I feel like I'm not the best Jedi to have a student."

"I know the feeling. When I was much younger, I took my first Padawan. He was a Duros by the name of Nac Scurr. When he first came to my care, I was terrified that I would be an insufficient teacher. I would lay awake at night for fear that I was raising my pupil to be less than he could be. On some days, I felt that I could be the worst teacher in the world, especially when Nac got owned by the advanced training droids. The next day, I felt like the best teacher in the world when he disarmed Stass Allie in a training exercise." He paused. "Come to think of it, he still won't let her forget it. But that's beside the point. The point is that everyone, Jedi, or teacher, or parent, has days when he feels like he is insufficient. It gets better."

"Have you ever had your Padawan held hostage by a bounty-hunter, who ransomed her life in exchange for opening a Jedi Holocron?"

"No…"

"Or did your Padawan nearly die in a collapsing droid-factory?"

"No…"

"Or, best yet, has your Padawan ever been captured by Trandoshan nut-jobs who hunt people down for sport?"

"Where are you going with this?"

"All of those things happened to my Padawan, and I could prevent none of them!"

"Skywalker, my Padawans were raised in times of peace, so the opportunities for those things to happen to them never came! The fact that your Padawan _survived_ those things just shows that she had enough experience and training., both of which were provided by you."

The young human looked into the Coway's good eye. "Thank you, Master."

"You're welcome Skywalker. I find that counsel is the best way to solve problems."

"GENERAL!"

Anakin spun around to see two clones running Kessell-bent-for-Ysalamir-fur, knocking over a few other clones on their way. He recognized them as Timber and Swift.

"Clones, report!"

They stopped at the holo-table, bent over and holding their knees to catch their breath.

"Sir, (pant, pant) we saw (pant, pant) droid scouts (pant, pant) in the clearing!"

"Did they see you?" Anakin inquired.

Swift removed his ARF helmet to reveal a satisfied smile. "Absolutely."

The Jedi Knight beamed. "Excellent. Go to the mess tent and ask for some Jogan fruit cake. Tell Cookie I sent you."

"Thank you sir," Timber replied, and then he staggered off towards the mess tent, followed by Swift.

B'dard approached his shoulder. "So, what now?"

Anakin crossed his arms over his chest. "Now, we lure the enemy into our trap."

_Ooooh! I do love surprises! Next Chapter will involve more Ahsoka/Codi romance, so brace for gooeyness! I hope you enjoyed this one. The next few will describe the battle that Ani and B'dard are about to get embroiled in. See you in a week!_


	12. Chapter 12

_I'm sorry that haven't posted in a while. My computer got hit by a virus, so we spent a few days cleaning up my PC. Also, I was at a Summer Media Camp. Aside from that, I lost view of where this story was going, so I lost my vigor to keep on writing it. Once again, I'm sorry for the wait, I hope that y'all are enjoying the story so far, and thank you so much for the reviews. They really helped get me going. It's nice to know that someone actually reads these things. My ultimate hope is that George Lucas reads this thing and makes it an episode of TCW. But that's just a hope. Like, a one in a million hope. Thanks for reading it anyway._

The last battle droid fell with a clunk to the ground. Ahsoka let the blades of her lightsabers retreat back into the hilts. This small group of droids had made themselves known by sniping a clone, and then killing a few more with a rocket launcher. After the remaining troops set up positions, she, Codi, Bastion, Rex, and Boomer had gone out to find them. Ahsoka had found one and the fact that there had to be more made her nervous.

Taking a quick glance around, she made sure that she was alone, and then she settled into a firm stance and immersed herself into the Force. The trees around her faded from green to a glowing white, then they became invisible. She filtered through all of the information for what she looked for. She ignored the Pylat birds tending their nest. She disregarded the lizards hunting the rodents. Droids were difficult to sense in the Force (because they were not a part of it) but not impossible. She could find no droids in her immediate vicinity, so she spread out her essence further. She found Rex, Bastion, and Boomer, and there were three battle droids nearby. When she felt two droids drop, she knew which faction was winning. And then she felt…

…him….

_He_ was in an amphitheater of six droids, taking them down with ease. Ahsoka noticed that he felt…different in the Force. When she had been with Master Luminara on the _Tranquility_ and Geonosis, the Mirialan had been like a smooth, polished stone in the streambed of the Force: letting the water flow unhindered, and letting the water (Force) flow smoothly by, thus Luminara's part of the river was calm. The same could be said of Masters Kenobi, Ti, and Koon. Anakin was also mostly a calm bed, but (going by the "River" example) his flow became more erratic, turbulent, even dangerous when he was fighting. Codi was like a dangerous strait: calm on the surface, but concealing something dark and dangerous beneath. It made her more nervous than the lack of droids.

She brought herself out of the immersion and back to the real world. Said real world spun a bit as she returned, and she felt light headed. She shook her head a few times, trying to clear the haze. Contrary to popular belief, the Force was quite energy draining when you immersed yourself in it. Some masters could meditate for days on end, but that was a _very_ advanced technique.

Giving her head one last shake, she trekked off to find the others. When she arrived at the clones' position, they were bent over the body of a fallen droid.

"I know that look trooper. What's the matter," she inquired.

Rex stood, still holding the battle droid's head. "Something odd is going on here. This is a scout droid."

"A scout droid?"

"Yeah," Boomer said under the ARF armor. "They travel light and usually have only a few ordinance weapons. That shell was the only one that they were carrying."

"And that's odd because…?" Ahsoka asked.

"Scout groups are usually for recon. They move ahead of the main force and clear out enemy scouts if a surprise attack is expected."

"So if the scout droids are _here_," Ahsoka wondered aloud.

"Then where is the main force?" Bastion finished.

The forest took on an eerie quiet as the question loomed.

"Perhaps we should call Master Tone about this?"

Three blasters and two lightsabers were immediately pointed at the speaker.

Codi barely flinched, despite the fact that the skin on the end of his nose was getting fairly warm from the glowing blade that had nearly gone through his brain.

Bastion sighed in exasperation and lowered the rifle. "Codi, when will you learn to stop doing that?"

Codi just stared darkly. "It's not my fault that you can't be aware of your surroundings. But, back to the matter at hand. The droids I took care of were also a scout group, all with high powered sniper rifles and auto turrets. It took a while to get close enough to kill them, but when I got there, one of them stepped on the holocomm that they had been using before I could stop it." He extended a sunset hand holding the shattered remains. "I was hoping that you clones could salvage something from it."

Bastion took it with a gloved hand and turned it around a few times. "Well, based on the runes and design, it's Geonosian. It's not as high-end as you would find with a Trade-Fed official, but it's got a really good receiver. Based on the wear, this has been only used a few times."

"How do you know?" Ahsoka asked.

"The slight charring on the edges," Bastion replied. "Everytime that a signal is transmitted, the heat created burns a tiny bit of the structure. The fewer the uses, the less the charring. And by the look of this charring, this hasn't been used for more than a week. And recently."

"How recently?" Codi inquired.

"Thirty minutes to an hour ago sir."

"Can you get some of the conversation 2104?" Rex asked.

"I can try," Bastion said, taking a seat on the mossy ground. "Even though, I've never been much of an eavesdropper….gossip was never my thing…"

"Bastion!" Codi barked. The clone looked up, slightly startled. Ahsoka took it that Bastion had never been addressed by Codi this way.

Ever obediently, the clone conceded a "Yessir," and then began to furiously work at the piece of equipment.

Had Ahsoka been the clone, Codi might have found himself on the receiving end of a rather vicious upper-cut. But seeing as she was not, sarcasm would have to do. "Looks like someone woke up on the wrong side of the cot this morning."

The clones chuckled softly under their helmets. Codi just snarled and gave Ahsoka a look that would have set a Woshyr tree ablaze. This look normally shut people up rather effectively, but not this time. It just fueled the fire. "The funny thing is," Ahsoka continued, "that I didn't know bog-boys* slept!"

Codi drew a breath as if he was about to say something, but suddenly froze. His eyes darted quickly from side to side, as if he heard something. "Do you feel that?"

"Feel what?" Rex inquired.

"That!" Ahsoka could feel it too. The air shook in her montrals. Something big, no, HUGE was moving, and not too far away.

Bastion, seated, felt the ground itself vibrate in the plastoid plates of his armor. Looking at the ground, he saw grains of dirt skip across the few spaces of non-moss covered ground.

Rex stiffened as he felt the vibrations too. He gave a few hand gestures and then he and Boomer disappeared into the foliage.

Codi turned to look at the seated Bastion. The helmet didn't even turn from his Geonosian holocomm. "You go. I'll stay here and work at this."

Codi nodded and slipped into the foliage.

Ahsoka threw a concerned glance over her shoulder at the clone. She could feel his focus in the Force, but also the anger that roiled in the corner of his mind. She wanted to stay, but as she had learned from Aayla, what is best for the individual is not always best for the group. So she followed Codi into the bush.

She quickly caught up with him and hissed "You should apologize to Bastion."

"I know," Codi sighed. "I don't know why I acted like that."

"I know why. Last night."

Codi froze in the midst of a tangle of roots. He didn't say anything but his expression said enough.

"I felt it too," Ahsoka said.

"How did it feel for you?"

"Hmmm. It felt…nice." She mentally slapped herself for not saying anything better.

Codi apparently felt the same way. "Nice? We dance to a Mandalorian beat in the middle of the night on a hostile planet, and all it was just _nice?_"

_D'oh! Time for a witty comeback! Think Ahsoka think! _"Well…okay, nice isn't exactly the best word, but you know what I mean." _SLAP! HOW WAS THAT WITTY!_

"No I don't. How did it feel?" Codi was actually wearing a curious grin.

Ahsoka wracked her Togruta brain for adjective. "Um…ah…nice, fast, primal, warm, fierce…"

Too late, Ahsoka realized that she had listed her adjectives outloud. Codi wore a countenance of bemused surprise. "Fierce, huh? Primal?"

A magnificent blush blossomed on her red cheeks. She tried to say something, but all that came out was a soft whimper. She turned away to hide another blush that she felt coming on.

"Because it felt like that to me too."

Ahsoka froze. _What did he say?_

"It felt…nice."

She turned around again to find Codi so close to her that she could feel the heat from his body. She realized that he was about two or three centimeters taller that she was when she had to look up into his eyes. _Force, what beautiful eyes. _They looked like deep, clear oceans, or the crown jewels of Alderaan. Heck, they looked like nothing she had ever seen before.

That electric surge shot through her body again when she felt him take her hands. "I would very much like to dance with you again sometime."

She wanted him to enfold her in those strong arms that she knew were beneath his sleeves, to hold her against his chest and feel his heart beat. Her eyes half closed and she leaned in for a second pass on those full lips that she had missed last night. His breath washed over her, smelling like turu-grass on a warm sea-breeze. She leaned in to get a taste of-

"Commanders?"

Ahsoka was never quite sure how they did it, but in the elapsed time of 0.7 seconds they both managed to get into attentive positions and face the clone who was coming out of the brush like there was nothing abnormal.

Rex paused, not quite sure what he had witnessed.

"What is it Captain?" Codi inquired.

Rex shook himself a bit. "Well…ah..there's something out here you should see."

They followed the clone to the edge of the plateau, where the ground abruptly dropped down into a chasm so deep that the river at the bottom was invisible. But hidden behind the brush, two clones and Jedi Padawans looked on in awe at what they saw.

There were droids. Thousands of B-1, B-2, and Destroyer droids moved in a unified column, intermingled within the ranks were AATs, OG-9 homing spider droids, and- good grief, there were at least 100 A-DSD Advanced dwarf spider droids, and the sky was full of Hyena bombers. It would have been a magnificent sight had it not been the opposing army. "Call General Skywalker," Ahsoka murmured, almost afraid that the huge column across the chasm would hear her. "We have to warn him." Rex thumbed his com-link, but was rewarded with static and a flashing red light. "I can't raise them Commander. There's no signal." "Or we're being jammed," Boomer growled.

Bastion strode up behind them, taking in the spectacle from under his helmet. "I figured as much. I got the holocomm to replay its last transmission."

He extended a gloved hand and pressed a button.

A tall Weequay resolved over the display. He looked calm and reserved, almost like a Jedi, but they all knew that this figure was no Jedi. It was Sora Bulq, traitor to the Jedi and Republic. "Unit X, you will eliminate any scout groups that the clones send forth. When contact is made, regroup with the main army, converge on the enemy's position and kill them all."

The hologram dissolved with an eerie, crackling hiss.

Rex once again tried to raise the Jedi Masters far away, but they all knew it was futile.

Ahsoka just hoped that a few would survive the onslaught to come.

_Next chappie will return to the action scenes. Good luck, and may the Force be with you all._


	13. Chapter 13

_I'm BAAAAAACK! I know, it took a while for that last chapter, and I apologize. Anyway, new chappie, and praise the divine pow'rs that be, some ACTION! Almost 100% action! WOOOOO! Special thanks to StarWarsGirl10, she was the major thing that made me finish this chapter._

B'dard Tone had been one of those, Pacifistic Jedi. He had been fairly reluctant to join the GAR, but he eventually took up the mantle (largely due to a stern look from Master Rancisis. The old fart had been waiting to use the war strategies that he'd been cooking up since before the Coway had been born, and the aged Thissippian would let nothing stand between him and finally feeling useful).

He had been pleasantly surprised at how well he could handle a lightsaber in combat, and had begun keeping track of how many droids he had smote. He had lost count sometime before the Battle of Hypori at 90,083, but that was neither here nor there.

He had at least _doubled _his count in the last hour.

In the early dawn, a tremor in the Force (and the ground) had alerted him to a column of droids inbound. Faster than he dreamed possible, he donned his robes and called his lightsaber and comm-link to his hands.

Pulsar, Appo, and Skywalker were already at the edge of base camp, staring down the horde.

"The time has come," Anakin had quietly said. "Let it begin."

And now, in the heat of midday, the fur-covered Jedi master called upon the Force to blast an Advanced Spider-Droid off of its legs. He leapt over the fallen behemoth and hewed an unsuspecting B-1 clean down the middle. He rolled from his fall and decapitated three more droids with a flourish that brought him to his feet.

Spinning the lightsaber, he blocked the shots from a droideka while using his free hand to summon a Super-battle droid from nearby. He Forced it onto the droideka's shield, causing the war-machine to step back into a small hole. With a protesting wail, the droid tipped over and explosively overloaded its shield.

B'dard would have smiled had he not been otherwise occupied by yet more droids.

Back-flipping over the fallen dwarf-spider droid, he pulled out his comm-link. "Skywalker," he roared, "This has gone on long enough! When are you going to collapse the center?"

"I'm doing my best Master," he heard on the other end. "The droids are making communication a nightmare. I just gave Captain Omen the order to fall back. This shouldn't take l-, what's that?"

B'dard heard it too. He looked over the fallen droid to see a squadron of Vultures and STAPs inbound.

Seeing the fallen body of a clone, B'dard snatched up the rocket launcher, aimed, and fired. He knew that the STAP would see it immediately, but that the Vulture behind it would not. The rocket just clipped the wing of the flying droid, and sent it caroming into one of its fellows.

But that was only two Vultures out of at least fifty more in the sky.

Out of the corner of his eye, B'dard saw a platoon of jet-troopers soar into the sky, letting out a rain of EMPs into the droid fighters. The droids spun and dove, a few were hit, but most dodged, and released a relentless barrage onto the floating troopers. Scores careened off in different directions as their jet-packs were damaged, and yet more were completely incinerated, and fell like sparks from a bonfire.

The sight filled B'dard with rage. And he tapped into that rage, only for a moment, and reached out with the Force, seizing a vulture droid in his telekinetic grip, and crushing it like an aluminum can.

But he corrected himself back into balance, remembering his vows and returning to himself. Seeing the ruins of an AT-TE, he flung himself towards it, dodging blaster-fire the whole way. With a flip, he sliced open the derelict vehicle, and slipped inside. It was dark and smelled of smoke and ozone. He walked to the back of the vehicle, finding the rear turrets, and a dead clone still in the seat. His markings looked familiar…

"Swipe…" he whispered.

He removed the clone's helmet, and was met with the glazed look of dead eyes. But it was Swipe.

B'dard uttered a quick prayer, touched his fingers to hip lips, and used the same fingers to close the clone's eyes.

Then, with a grunt of effort, B'dard heaved the clone from his seat and onto the floor. Igniting his lightsaber, he went to work

XXXXX

Anakin Skywalker hacked a dwarf crab droid to pieces with a savage war cry before moving on to the next one. He stabbed it in the head with his lightsaber. It shuddered and whirred with the sudden blast through its circuitry, and then died.

Deactivating the blade, he stood and raised Appo on the comm-link. "Appo, status."

"The central flank is collapsing, just as you have requested general," said the tinny voice. "We are already back to the half-way point."

Anakin smiled. "I love it when a plan comes together."

A tremor in the Force induced Anakin to throw himself to the side, tackling Sergeant Giggs out of the way as a vulture droid executed a strafing run.

"Thanks general," he said.

"Be vigilant trooper," Anakin said to the T-visor. "I won't be there next time."

The clone nodded a few times before running out and firing a few more rounds into the sea of droids.

A few droids on STAPs gave Anakin an idea. Stepping onto the debris of the dwarf spider droid, the Jedi Knight leapt into the air, decapitated the first droid, used its STAP as a platform, jumping to the next one. Performing a mid-air somersault, he sliced the droid in half, and let his inertia carry him to the final STAP on his list. Planting both boots firmly onto the droid's chest, he removed the unfortunate mass of circuitry from the platform and commandeering the vehicle. Grabbing onto the handle-bars, he noticed the droid had left its arms behind. With a chuckle, he brushed off the digits and brought the STAP around to face the incoming horde.

He prepared to squeeze the triggers when suddenly the STAPs were blown clean out of the sky by someone on the ground. Looking down, he saw B'dard, holding with both hands the rear-facing artillery gun from an AT-TE, and relentlessly squeezing the trigger.

It surprised him to see a Jedi using such an unorthodox technique.

Unorthodox? Yes. Ineffective? No.

He liked it.

Even in the blazing light of the sun, the shots flying from the barrels flashed the Coway like lightening at night. He bared his teeth in a feral roar that was lost to the din of his weapon. Unfortunately, a thermal detonator landed at B'dard's feet, and he was forced to back-flip out of the way.

Gunning the throttle, Anakin dove and intercepted the alien in mid-flight, B'dard snatching a hold Anakin's boot.

He winced and felt as if his leg had suddenly extended another four feet. He considered taking a few evasive maneuvers to shake the Jedi off unless the hand clutching his ankle did not relocate.

Fortunately for B'dard, he shifted his grasp to the stirrup, and ignited his lightsaber to deflect the innumerable bolts being sent their way.

"Perfect timing Skywalker," he called up at him.

"As always," Anakin grinned.

"Have you given the collapse order?"

"Yes," Anakin replied as he shot a vulture out of the sky. "I just contacted Omen, and he is leading the collapse."

"Where are Appo and Pulsar? Should not they be leading the charge…er, retreat?"

"Appo and Pulsar have been given command of the left and right flanks," Anakin responded. "They will be leading the closing in movement."

"Clever Skywalker," B'dard called as he swatted away a blaster bolt. "They had better hurry because we can't keep this up much longer."

Anakin would have agreed, but something was off. Ordinarily, Vulture droids would be used to scatter the ranks, and their shots would be largely random, meant to cause chaos and discord. These attacks were focused, centralized. They all seemed to making a highway straight down the middle…

With a howl of dismay as the situation dawned on him, Anakin wheeled the STAP about so sharply, that the craft itself might have fallen apart, much less the Coway, whose cybernetic-grip was in a proverbial white-knuckle on the stirrups.

"SKYWALKER!" B'dard howled.

"Master, they're going to split us right down the middle! If they do, then the clones will be trapped in two halves and-"

B'dard didn't need completion of the sentence to grasp the meaning. Thus, he unceremoniously let go of the STAP, and felt himself unify with the Force.

Waves of gray washed over him as he fell. Red of anger and orange of fear pulsed from the clones, compression lines of death contorted the Force and warped it to bend the senses of perception. But B'dard let an even greater command take over his body: a completely selfless one: save these clones, no, these men!

The remainder of the fall was a blur, and he only returned to himself when his boots hit the ground in the midst of the smoldering wreckage that once was at least five Vulture droids.

But he knew it was already too late.

Taking advantage of the hole that the Vultures had created, a whole _platoon_ of droidekas had rolled in, deployed, and were mercilessly firing on the clones.

Then B'dard felt the hate.

Calling to mind images of General Grievous, he took to his lightsaber and lunged to save as many clones as he could before he knew that he would succumb.

His blade was a wall of blue. No shots passed it. But still the clones fell, dying like plants in a drought.

He felt his body tire as he frantically deflected more bolts over a larger area, trying to save the clones.

The first shot singed his arm, the second his leg, but he still fought through the pain.

A third shot went clean through his cybernetic arm, and it dangled uselessly, sending him off balance, and sending him tumbling to his knees. He looked up, only to see down the barrel of a droideka's cannon, and knew his time had come.

Oddly enough, he felt no fear. Perhaps it would just be a long nap…

The shot did not come.

He waited for what seemed like ample time to blow his brains out, but nothing happened.

He vaguely wondered if he had died and was merely a specter.

Glancing down, he checked to see if his own body was lying there, but seeing his own two feet in the moist dirt and feeling the pain that induced him to favor one leg, assured him of his corporeal stature.

Looking through the droideka's shield, he saw and enormous hologram of Sora Bulq standing serenely in the midst of the battle field.

"Brother Jedi, clones of Jango Fett, Manda'lore, I see no need to continue this slaughter. You have lost. You had lost before this battle began, for I knew your strategy long before you were able to implement it. Master Skywalker needs to remember that he is not the only one to study ancient battles, such as Jedi Master Hrundass Nennir's Charge. Not only did I know the strategy, but I knew that you would implement it. Only a fraction of you remain, and you that do remain are not in sufficient numbers to do anything. I urge you, return to your base of operations. You will not be pursued, and a transport shall be arranged to take you into neutral space, but only if you return to your base. For now, I withdraw all my forces. You have wounded to attend to. May the Force be with you all."

On the words: "withdraw all my forces," the droidekas had curled up and rolled away, followed closely by the droids. B'dard and his clones were left standing on an empty battlefield, filled with the stench of ozone and death.

Deactivating his lightsaber, B'dard assumed a standin position. "Troopers, attend to the wounded first and get a head count! I want full roll delivered to me or Master Skywalker yesterday."

B'dard limped his way across the space between the split forces, moving around the craters and over the bodies.

The other clones were, if anything, in worse shape. Pulling one trooper aside, he inquired to the location of Skywalker.

"Over there sir!"

Indeed, there he was, leaning heavily on Appo's shoulders. "Good to see you Master," he said, wincing as he moved.

"Took a spill off the STAP," Appo explained to B'dard's confused countenance.

"To put it lightly," Anakin grunted. "In any case we were devastated. Appo gives a rough estimate of 50% loss."

"By the Force," B'dard gasped. "Most of my men survived, but most are too wounded to continue."

Wiping a bit of blood from his chin, Anakin's face grew dark. "He will pay for this. I guarantee it."

A clone scurried up to Anakin's side. "Sir, you sent for this," he said, holding out a holocron.

"Where's Cogs?" Anakin asked. "I thought that he was in charge of the battle holocron."

"Cogs…won't be keeping the holocron anymore."

The meaning dawned on them all.

B'dard watched, only partially caring from the shock, as Anakin's eyes moistened, then a grim rage gripped his face. Extending his hand, he took the holocron, nearly crushing it in his fury. Then, with the Force, he opened it. The blue-scale world of Koru Neimoidia resolved above them.

"Since Bulq knew our plan this time, we have to assume that our comms have been compromised. No long-range communications anymore. So now, we need a new plan."

Appo stirred. "We don't have the sufficient forces to reach Naantray and make a full-frontal, not with that shield."

B'dard nodded in agreement. "Perhaps reinforcements from Master Choi in the south?"

"No good," Anakin replied. "They're held down by a weather system, and will be so for an unknowable amount of time, and if our comms have been hacked, then our communication to him will be known and dealt with."

"Perhaps we could send a message in the old fashioned way," B'dard said. "Send a speeder to Master Choi and send the message with it under the cover of darkness."

Anakin nodded. "Any volunteers?"

Almost in an answer, Fox, who had been listening the whole time, mounted a speeder and was gone.

"So much for the cover of darkness…" Appo muttered.

"No, its fine," Anakin said. "He'll look like a deserter, perfectly normal. Now, even if Master Choi gets here in time, we need those shields down."

"A covert op," suggested Appo. "A small force could slip in unnoticed-"

"But I'm willing to gamble that Bulq is watching us," B'dard whispered, casting a nervous glance to the sides, as if expecting to see a probe droid waiting in the wings. "He'll know if we send a group from the main force."

"What if…" Anakin said, his eyes brightening, "the task force was already separated?"

Questioning looks bloomed like the flowers in spring.

"I'll explain later. Right now, we need to attend to the wounded. Find Jesse and make sure he's coordinating, not doing the actual work. Also, make note of Master Tone for the record books."

"Why?" The aforementioned probed.

"Because….wait, don't you remember the Vultures?"

"Vaguely, why?"

Anakin smiled broadly, perhaps a bit jealously. "You're the only Jedi I know who can destroy seventeen Vulture droids while in free-fall."

_Thanks for your patience and reviews! It really does help!_


	14. Chapter 14

_Haloo! I know that this chapter took forever to upload, but I've been doing lots of crazy stuff, and I was going through a creative phase that passed over this particular project. I was honestly considering cancelling this story, but that would be unfair to all of you readers and people who have been following me for more than a year now. In any case, I want to finish this story so that I can move on to other ones. As always, reviews are welcome, and I won't feel bad if any of you guys rage on me for not updating sooner._

The humidity was palpable.

So was the quiet.

The once loud and vibrant jungle had fallen silent in the wake of the battle. Even the Force was stifled by all of the death and fear that had followed the conflict. Every animal had fled, and the distance that separated Ahsoka from her Master's forces made individual emotions impossible to differentiate. From the Force, she could see that many had died, but she could not tell who.

So she stood, gazing out across the Rift Valley at the field now pockmarked with innumerable craters and littered with bodies, hoping to see some trace of her Master. Behind her, the clones sat anxiously around a holo-comm, waiting for their orders. Reading the clones' emotions through the Force was difficult, considering their almost mechanical approach to life and their short, child-like age that threw most Jedi off from the start. But even a novice like Ahsoka could feel their anxiety. She could see it. Rex was pacing, Boomer was desperately scrubbing at a stain on his armor that was no longer there, and Fox was sitting on a log with his head in his hands. However, Bastion seemed not so much anxious as concerned for someone else.

His gaze was fixed on Codi, who had wandered off and was presently leaning against a tree a good distance away, looking utterly bored with the whole situation. Ahsoka knew that this particular Padawan was not on good terms with his Master, but not caring about his possible death seemed a bit extreme.  
Quietly, Ahsoka crossed the small clearing in which the clones had made camp, and stopped behind Bastion's left shoulder.

"I know what you're thinking."

Crap. How did clones do that? It was weird enough when a Jedi Master knew your presence without an announcement, but this was ridiculous. How could he have known?

"He seems not to care about his Master, am I correct?"

Ahsoka nodded. "That's what it looks like."

Bastion seemed pensive. "I think that he does care about his Master. But he's just going through a difficult time right now."

"What do you mean?" 

Bastion shook his head. "I don't quite understand it myself General. He is very secretive, but I think that he lost someone very close, and he's not ready to get attached again." 

"A clone _and_ a shrink? The Kaminoans must be stepping up the training regime." 

Bastion turned, probably to retort, but suddenly, the holo-comm activated with a loud series of beeps.  
All else was forgotten, and both Ahsoka and Bastion promptly bolted for the device. Boomer got there first and seized the holo-comm to accept the signal. Over his hand, a blue hologram of a beleaguered Anakin Skywalker resolved before them. Several bandages were wrapped around his waist and forearms.

"Anakin! Thank the Force, you're alive!" Ahsoka cried upon seeing her Master's image. 

Anakin smiled at his Padawan. "Good to see you too, Snips. Are you and your troops alright?" 

"We're fine Master, but we were wondering how you all are." 

"Terrible. We have an estimated loss of 50% of troops, but the final count isn't in yet." 

Ahsoka grimaced. "So much for the plan." 

Anakin's face seemed to light up at the mention. "Now that you mention it, I do have a plan, and it involves you!" 

Ahsoka let out an internal hurrah, but hoped that it didn't show too much on her face. 

"I need you and your men to sneak into Naantray before us, cause as much chaos as possible, and destroy their shield generators." 

Codi moved up to the hologram. "Not to be Johnny black-hole over here, but won't they be expecting that?" 

Anakin shook his head. "No, they won't. I'm sure you remember Aiwah Squad?" 

Codi nodded. "The commandos who we sent in before your arrival to destroy the generators that never returned? What good are they to us?" 

Anakin seemed to bristle on the phrase "good are they to us," but he let it slide. "Because according to our last intelligence, the squad was captured very close to Naantray, and as such, they gave the Neimoidians a false sense of security. A probe droid managed to get close enough to Naantray to confirm that security has been downgraded since the failed mission." 

Ahsoka nodded. "So, if they're not watching, it'll be easier for us to sneak in and take 'em by surprise!" 

Here there was a pause as Anakin turned to face a noise of someone talking out of the holo's view. Anakin gave a short nod and then faced his Padawan and her companions. "Master Tone wishes to speak with you." 

Said Coway stepped into view. "I have two secondary objectives for you. The first is to find Aiwah Squad, as I'm sure that Sora Bulq will have kept them alive for questioning. The second is to gain as much data from the Separatist Databank as possible. We have a rare opportunity to take this information, don't let's waste it….and Padawan Ty?" 

Codi froze. "Yes…Master?" 

Ahsoka noted the lack of malevolence in the phrase. 

B'dard shifted uncomfortably. "Be careful." 

Codi blinked. Ahsoka was shocked to see that he actually looked…not angry or apathetic. Perhaps confused, but did she detect the slightest traces of a smile on his lips? "Of course Master, thank you."  
B'dard nodded. "Alright, you have your objectives. Now go, and be stealthy. May the Force be with you all." 

The hologram dissolved into nothingness. For a moment, there was silence. 

_SPLAT!__  
_

Rex gave a roar of disgust as his blue-and-white armor was suddenly blemished with a large splat of mud. "What the-!" 

All eyes turned in the direction the clot of mud had come from, to find Codi, without his robe or boots, crouched in a puddle, both hands laden with fresh piles of the stuff. 

Ahsoka was aghast. Even for Codi, this was absurd. "Codi, what are you-" 

"Camoflauge," he explained, smearing the goop on his arms. "Our skin is red, their armor is white, both stand out in this jungle, and Master Tone said that stealth is paramount. Unless you want to be bantha fodder, I suggest you all get dirty. And for you clones, put some moss on your shoes to muffle your footsteps." 

_SPLAT!__  
_

Rex let out another howl as Boomer creamed him with a mud pie. The ARC trooper giggled like a Twi'lek dancing girl. "I've always wanted to do that." 

The clone captain wiped most of the mud off his visor. "You asked for it," he growled, stooping low and grabbing a double-handful of goop. Underneath his helmet, Boomer paled. 

"….uh-oh…." 

Rex heaved his load with a grunt, but Boomer ducked, and instead it plastered Bastion upside the head.

Everyone froze. 

Then, with a roar of blind rage, Bastion tackled both Boomer and Rex into the mud-hole. The floodgates opened, and all seventeen of the remaining clones dove into the mud. 

Codi watched this all with sadistic glee. Behind him, he heard Ahsoka approach. "Aren't you going to stop them?" 

Codi shook his head. "No, they can be soldiers later. Let them be friends for now." 

"And here I thought that you were totally unreasonable, and had no sense of humor." 

He snorted. "Oh please, I have a great sense of humor!" 

_SPLAT!  
_

Codi barely flinched when the muck splattered on the back of his montrals. "I should have expected that," he muttered. 

Behind him, Ahsoka laughed. "But you didn't lie to me! You have great sense of humor!" 

Discreetly, Codi lifted a huge glob of mud with the Force. As he mentally lined up the shot, he let an evil grin spread across his face. "You have no idea."

_Ha, that was fun. Anyway, R&R! I'll see you all again soon!_


	15. Chapter 15

_Whassup? Hey, if y'all haven't seen the new TCW commercial, go see it on YouTube! It looks awesome! Anyway, this is just a bumper chapter. I finally am home from 7 weeks out of the house, so I hope to update more frequently and finish this story soon! _

Very few sentient beings could fly. At least to 0000/1010's knowledge, very few could fly. He had met several Rishii, and knew that Jedi could use the Force to fly, but such Jedi were few, and the Rishii even fewer.

Then again, some could use technology to fly. The droids had STAPs, and General Skywalker…let's just say that he could take anything with wings, so long as he had a fighter.

0000/1010 had never been a gifted flyer. He had scraped through the final simulator on Kamino, barely passing, but he had passed. He never elected to fly if he could avoid it; he disliked LAAT transport and absolutely _despised_ space travel.

Right now though, 0000/1010 felt like he was flying. He had the speeder's throttle jammed into what was most assuredly the highest position. The foliage of the jungle zoomed by so fast that the individual trees were lost to a blur of green-brown. Birds screeched and animals scurried as the speeder screamed in complaint, but 0000/1010 was unrelenting. He kept the throttle jammed into the highest position, and nothing short of a stone wall would get him to stop.

Not even a battle droid.

The thing was standing right in the middle of 0000/1010's path. Whether or not it was trying to get the clone to stop or it had just happened to be there at the wrong time mattered not. The clone had not tried to swerve, he had not even flinched. He had rammed the mass of gears head-on, ducking his head as the debris cascaded over his helmet.

But he had kept on. He had driven so far by now, for so long, he doubted that he was in the same hemisphere of the planet. But he kept going at full throttle, hoping that he was going in the right direction. In his haste, 0000/1010 had forgotten to bring a navigator, and the speeder he was on did not have one.

He slowed the speeder to a more reasonable speed, and then noticed something.

Above the tree tops, there was an enormous black thundercloud.

_And Master Choi was held down by a weather system according to Skywalker…._

Banking slightly to the right, 0000/1010 angled the speeder straight into the storm and gunned it again. The clouds swiftly grew taller as he got closer. He could feel the wind pushing angrily on his side as he drew closer. The first rain-drop smacked into his visor with a loud pop. The clone almost decelerated before he realized what had happened. Going at speed, the rain would act like projectiles.

_Perhaps I should slow down…_ he pondered.

_Nah._

As if in response, the rain suddenly was upon him like a celestial dam had burst. The wind howled like an animal, and the thunder shook the speeder like the ground in a seismic movement. Thanks to the polarizers in his visor, he was not blinded by the cracks of lightening, nor hindered by the encroaching dark of the storm. And the rain did act like projectiles. Each drop was the size of a coin, but felt like fists pummeling him through the plastoid armor. He wanted to scream in pain, but one thing that his Kaminoan trainer had taught him, was that screaming solves nothing. Instead, 0000/1010 tightened his already white-knuckle grip on the handlebars and ignored the pain. Come hell or high-water (or both in this case), the 501st was going to make contact with Master Choi.


	16. Chapter 16

_Having once again returned, I will make a solemn promise to never abandon this story. It WILL be finished by Christmas. Anyway, here's the next chapter._

Anakin surveyed the troops with little enthusiasm. The army was crippled both in numbers and in morale. The men were mourning their slain brothers, and not even the scores of droids that they had taken with them could appease their pain. Heck, not even Master B'dard's spectacular slaying of the vulture droids had lifted their spirits. He and B'dard had given the troops no inkling as to what their plan was, and this troubled Anakin. The key to their plan was that a small task force could slip into Naantray undetected, but the more people who knew the plan, the more could squeal and ruin the plot. The plan was trite enough to begin with, and had none of Anakin's usual bravado. Even a tiny misstep on either side would spell their doom. Even worse, if Ahsoka failed her mission, then not only would he, the 501st, B'dard, and the 957th Nebula Corp be annihilated, but so would Master Choi, and he had, by any measure, the largest and best trained army on the planet. The thoughts weighed heavy on both Anakin and B'dard's mind. They had not even informed the Jedi Council of their plan. For all they knew, the Council could have assumed them dead and abandoned Koru Neimoidia for a later attack. The Separatist Holo-News was probably alive with this battle's result. So, here Anakin stood, on a small rise near the remaining AT-TEs, and surveyed what was probably the grimmest circumstance that he had ever encountered.

His emotions were not lost on B'dard. The Coway stood behind him, one hand pensively placed on his chin. "So, I assume that you wish not to tell the troops of our plan?"

Anakin nodded.

"It is most wise," said B'dard. "I fear though that the troops will rebel if we order them to march on. Bulq's offer was most generous, and I can feel the fear that my men harbor. They wish to make with all undue haste to the base-camp and summon an extraction. I do not blame them."

Anakin was despondent. Inside his head, he furiously grasped at some kind of idea to energize the troops. The ideas ranged from booze to Twi'lek dancers. Seeing as Twi'lek dancers were unavailable at present, and the affect of alcohol on a hoard of clones with empty stomachs would be unpredictable at best, disastrous at worst. So Anakin still had no ideas.

Behind him, B'dard seethed with wrath. "That filthy Weequay. He knew that his offer would spoil the pot, that is why he made it! If only I could get my hands on him!"

Anakin went rigid. An idea had just begun to formulate in his head.

B'dard remained oblivious and plowed on. "I know that I could beat him in a fight! The blithering, weak-minded, tumor-faced bag of Sith trash!"

Anakin felt a smile begin to spread across his face. This could be done with his usual bravado and brashness…

"I would knock him to his knees! He would beg for mercy and I would revel in it! I-"

B'dard stopped short. Anakin had suddenly sprung into motion. Moving with the self-confidence of a man who had just been elected to the office of Supreme Chancellor, Anakin descended from the rise and began to tromp through the mud toward the mass of clones below. Confused, B'dard followed. The younger Jedi was like a mag-lev train; nothing short of a meteor would so much as delay him from his purpose…whatever it was. Growing more and more confused with each step that they took, the Coway waved awkwardly at the clones who gave Anakin the crazy stare, hoping that he looked less clueless than he actually was.

"TECH!"

Anakin howled the name as they approached the communications center. The clones were presently in the process of disassembling it for transport and bug-checks. Their work stopped short as Anakin neared, and one clone in particular raised his helmeted head. "Sir?"

"Do you still have a comms relay up?"

Tech, even with the helmet, was visibly confused. "I was breaking them down for transport, as you ordered…"

"Do you still have one up?" Anakin seemed to be growing impatient.

Tech cast a nervous glance at B'dard. B'dard, though just as confused had at least some curiosity as to what exactly the Jedi Knight had planned, so he nodded in approval at Tech.

"Yessir, we have Unit Alpha-thirty-sigma still up but-"

"Get me a channel into Naantray, trooper!"

All activity froze. Everyone was just as incredulous as B'dard was.

Anakin gave a stern but jubilant smile to Tech. "We can do that, right?"

Tech nodded uncertainly. "Bulq left us with a frequency to use when we were ready to accept his term-"

"Then patch me through!" Anakin cried. "And put me on broad-display. I want the whole army to see this."

For a moment, no one moved.

"That would mean NOW!"

At B'dard's order, the comms station sprang to life as all of the wiring was re-plugged and routers sorted. Anakin strode off, and B'dard, after ascertaining that the troops would continue their work after he was no longer watching, followed. Catching up to the Jedi, Anakin gave a gracious smile. "Thanks for the assist back there Master."

B'dard nodded slowly. "Of course Skywalker, but do not tell me that you intend to comply with Bulq's demands?"

Anakin gave a wry smile that bordered on evil. "Just wait and see."

Somehow, B'dard did not like the look of this.

XXXXX

The knock on the door was most unwelcome to Sora Bulq. He had been in the midst of a rather pleasant meditation involving visions of Nute Gunray's head rolling on the floor.

"Enter," he growled.

DE-556 entered cautiously. "Sir, we have an incoming transmission from the Jedi."

This piqued his interest. "The Jedi?"

"Yes sir," replied the battle droid. "They say that they have a message for you."

Sora stood, a small half-smile on his face. Brushing a few folds out of his robes, the Weequay stood. "Then let us not keep them waiting."

With a smoothly uttered, "Shall we," both Bulq and the droid exited the room and crossed the base to the control center. The room itself looked like it might have been harvested from the bridge of the _Invisible Hand_. Grievous' prized warship was, however, otherwise occupied, razing a planet somewhere in the Outer Rim, so this was not the actual bridge. Like the starship's bridge, this command center jutted out of the main building, and gave a commanding view of the surrounding country-side. The local star had just begun to dip below the horizon, staining the sky…green?

Sora shook his head with disgust. _The miracle of modern industry…soot that turns the sky green._

Despite this, Sora would not let his triumph over the Jedi be diminished by a discoloration of the atmosphere. With a nod to the droid in charge of communications, the hologram projector in the center of the room whirred to life. The insolent youth known as Anakin Skywalker and the esteemed-yet-disfigured Coway Jedi Master B'dard Tone resolved before him. Both of their faces were neutral, but Sora could not help a smug smile from crossing his face. "Jedi," he said, his voice like the smoothest fabric. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Skywalker crossed his arms. "I have a message for you Weequay. About your surrender…"

Sora could feel it coming. That inevitable phrase that, now how it was said, despite adjectives or structure, said in Basic, Huttese, or Ryl, roughly translated always came to: "I surrender, you win. I hate you for it, but I must yield." It brought back memories of training session with the lesser Jedi in the temple. Always so confident. Always so optimistic that they would be the one to beat master Bulq. Always put back in their place by a practice-saber to the-

"You can blow it out your backside!"

The room went dead silent. Every droid suddenly froze, and slowly turned to watch the proceedings. Bulq's smile froze on his face. This could not be right… The Weequay looked past Anakin to see B'dard, looking every bit as stunned as the Dark Jedi felt. He obviously had no idea what to make of the situation either. "I beg your pardon, Master Jedi?"

Anakin had now assumed the smug smile. "I have considered your offer, and after much deliberation…ah, who am I kidding? I didn't even have to think about it. I was never going to accept. I mean, really, what did you expect me to do, run off with my robes hitched up around my knees and hope that the Republic would bail us out?"

"Ahm…"

Before Sora could say anything more comprehensive, Anakin barreled on. "And don't get me started on 'you lost,' and all that! You might have won the battle, but _we_ willwin the war!"

Was he mistaken, or could Sora hear the clones in the background begin to cheer?

"And as to our 'fraction of us that remain,' we could take you _and_ Naantray with half the men that we have now! I would like to see you _try _to beat us!"

That was definitely cheering in the background. However supportive the troops were, B'dard was the polar opposite. Every word out of Skywalker's mouth added to a seemingly horrified look that was now plastered across his face.

As if sensing this, Anakin turned to face B'dard, a devilish smile on his face. "How did you describe Master Bulq earlier today, B'dard?"

"A blithering, weak-minded, tumor-faced bag of Sith trash," B'dard weakly responded.

Anakin nodded with satisfaction, and gave a now insufferably smug smile to Bulq. "I couldn't have put it better myself Master, thank you!"

Whatever Anakin was on, he obviously had not shared, because B'dard just nodded weakly in response.

"So, in conclusion," Anakin said, facing Bulq once more, "I thank you for your precious time. I'll be at your door in a few days. See you then…tumor-face!"

The hologram dissolved and left an eerie quiet.

556 made, in hindsight, the foolish decision to approach Bulq. "Sir?"

And with a howl of rage, Bulq spun, activated his blood-red shoto and decapitated 556 in a single, almost graceful arc. "COMMANDER!"

Said droid gave an uncertain squeak in response.

"Gather the troops!" Bulq roared. "When they get here, not one will be left alive! I want every square inch of open soil made into a mine-field, every parapet fortified, every shield-generator up and running by the time they get here! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME!"

"Roger-roger," came the faint reply.

XXXXX

"DO YOU HAVE A DEATH-WISH SKYWALKER!?"

B'dard was livid, and Anakin couldn't blame him. To his credit, the Coway had kept quiet all the way to the command tent, but it was rather amusing to watch him fly off the handle like this.

"BULQ WILL RAZE US AND YOU KNOW IT! WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH FORCES TO _SCRATCH_ NAANTRAY, MUCH LESS MAKE AN EFFECTIVE FRONTAL ASSAULT! HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!?"

Anakin had not lost his smug smile. With a sweep of his hand, he opened the tent flap and gestured to the troops that were now cheering and packing the gear as if they were going to be paid a million credits each for their efforts. Some were even whistling. "I did what you wanted Master, I got us the morale to move the troops!"

B'dard opened his mouth to rage some more, but the words died in his throat. Anakin was right. The troops would now, unquestionably, move to Naantray. They might even _skip_ there.

Anakin laid a confident hand on B'dard's shoulder. "Besides, now Bulq will let us approach without attack! He wants to prove that he can beat us in an open fight."

"But he can!" B'dard cried. "Without so much as batting an eye, he can wipe us out like insects!"

Anakin patted B'dard's shoulder, much to the latter's annoyance. "You forget, we have both the covert ops _and _Master Choi on the way. Our victory is assured!"

"Assuming _both _get to the targets in time."

Anakin lifted the hand off B'dard's shoulder. "Have faith in the Force, Master. I have to go and brief Appo on our route. I suggest you do the same for Pulsar…unless you need to simmer some more in silence?"

The young Knight left the Coway alone in the tent, but not before flashing him a confident smile. For a moment, B'dard stood. Then, with a sigh and a shake of his head, he too exited the tent to find Pulsar. All of these confident, almost arrogant Jedi had been cropping up lately. Perhaps it was something in the water, but be it madness or brilliance, B'dard would soon find out.

_Next chapter will return to Ahsoka, Codi, Rex, and Bastion. See y'all then!_


End file.
